Yellowknife, N.W.T. (CJCD Mix 100 News) – A judge has found an RCMP officer from the Behchoko detachment not guilty of driving while his ability was impaired.
Const. Trent Hayward sat in a Yellowknife courtroom Tuesday morning to hear Judge Robert Gorin’s verdict in the case.
Hayward had pleaded not guilty to the charge, stemming from his arrest on Nov. 13, 2010, when Cpl. Matthew Hare pulled him over, outside of Yellowknife.
Gorin said in court that he heard conflicting evidence from the two officers about the events that transpired that evening, when Hare first saw the off-duty officer drinking at the Gold Range.
He testified that when he pulled Hayward’s car over, he noticed that he was slurring, with glassy eyes, fumbling and verbally agressive.
Hayward, on the other hand, said he had four beers that night and was simply upset that he was being accused of something he hadn’t done.
Due to a problem with the Yellowknife detachment’s breathalyzer that night, Hayward’s blood alcohol level was never taken. Witnesses who saw Hayward gave a range of testimony. The court heard from some that he was slurring and smelled strongly of alcohol, while others said he had only a slight odor of alcohol.
In the end, Judge Gorin said the case was a ‘credibility contest, and he could not say for sure that Hayward was in fact impaired while driving his car.
He found the constable not guilty of the charge.
[Source]
Recent Comments