Outgoing Surrey mayor Doug McCallum害羞草研究所檚 seven-day trial on a charge of public mischief began Monday morning (Oct. 31) in Surrey provincial court with a plea of not guilty.

Doug McCallum arrives at court in today to begin his 7-day trial. Story here:

害羞草研究所� Surrey Now-Leader (@SurreyNowLeader)

McCallum害羞草研究所檚 charge stems from an encounter on Sept. 4, 2021 between himself and a group of volunteers who were gathering petition signatures outside the South Point Save-On-Foods store in South Surrey for a referendum on the policing transition.

Special prosecutor Richard Fowler told Judge Reginald Harris on Monday that McCallum told police Surrey-resident Deborah Johnstone ran over his leg and foot with a Mustang two-door convertible and drove off in a 害羞草研究所渧ery dangerous害羞草研究所� manner.

The prosecutor told the court McCallum walked away and later that day told police Johnstone 害羞草研究所渏ust about害羞草研究所� pinned him to his car and as she pulled away 害羞草研究所渟he actually floored it害羞草研究所� and purposefully turned toward him and ran over his foot. 害羞草研究所淚 really on this one want to go after her,害羞草研究所� Fowler said McCallum told police.

Fowler said 害羞草研究所渢he question will be害羞草研究所� if McCallum intended to mislead police into believing she had done something illegal 害羞草研究所渂y making false statements to the police with the intention to cause Ms. Johnstone to be suspected of having committed an offence.害羞草研究所�

The court reviewed CCTV footage from the grocery store害羞草研究所檚 entrance looking out into the parking lot where Johnstone confronted McCallum, they had an exchange, she drove off and he then walked to the store.

害羞草研究所淚 said 害羞草研究所楻esign, McCallum害羞草研究所� when she first saw him at the scene, Johnstone told the court. She said the roof was down on her car, which she was sitting in. It was parked, she said, and indicated she was roughly 15 feet away from him.

She said McCallum walked in front of her car and over to her passenger side and asked her, 害羞草研究所淲hat did you say, madam?害羞草研究所� to which she again told him to resign.

害羞草研究所淚t became unpleasantries between the two of us, back and forth,害羞草研究所� Johnstone said. 害羞草研究所淚t was a heated debate. I told him he was the worst mayor that Surrey ever had. I told him he was mean-spirited and a liar.

害羞草研究所淚 swore at him,害羞草研究所� she testified. 害羞草研究所淚 made a reference to him having a scaly face. I called him a scaly-faced motherf害羞草研究所�-er.害羞草研究所�

She said McCallum was saying things back.

害羞草研究所淗e told me I was a loud mouth, and something to the effect that I was no good for Surrey,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淗e told me I wasn害羞草研究所檛 allowed to be there.害羞草研究所�

Johnstone said the exchange lasted about a minute. McCallum had spit at the side of his mouth, she said.

害羞草研究所淗e was angry.害羞草研究所�

She told the court McCallum threatened to call Bylaws on her and she replied for him to fill his boots, she害羞草研究所檇 call the RCMP.

害羞草研究所淎s I drove away I yelled, 害羞草研究所榊ou害羞草研究所檙e evil.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Johnstone told the court that she drove away slowly because she was in a parking lot. She said her intent was to find parking.

She didn害羞草研究所檛 hear, feel or see anything unexpected, she said, and doesn害羞草研究所檛 recall McCallum saying anything to her as she drove off.

Johnstone testified that later that afternoon she received a call from police asking her to come to the station 害羞草研究所渁s there had been an incident.

害羞草研究所淚 went of my own free will,害羞草研究所� she said.

When she got to the station, she said, she spoke with an officer.

害羞草研究所淗e told me I was being investigated for assault with a weapon and criminal harassment.害羞草研究所�

McCallum sat with his lawyers and momentarily twiddled his thumbs while listening to Johnstone害羞草研究所檚 testimony as roughly two dozen people, six of them reporters, listened from the gallery.

In cross examination Monday, Peck asked Johnstone about her saying, 害羞草研究所楬oly crap, it害羞草研究所檚 McCallum害羞草研究所� and that it was her 害羞草研究所渓ucky day.害羞草研究所�

He asked her why it was her 害羞草研究所渓ucky day?害羞草研究所�

She replied McCallum would typically put bylaw officers on the volunteers.

害羞草研究所淣ow he害羞草研究所檚 going to have to confront all of us on his day off.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been a long four years,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 have tried very hard just to be heard.害羞草研究所�

Peck suggested she uses 害羞草研究所渧ile害羞草研究所� language 害羞草研究所渢o intimidate and instill fear in people.害羞草研究所�

To this Johnstone responded, 害羞草研究所淚 do it to let them know what they害羞草研究所檙e doing is not appropriate.害羞草研究所�

Peck asked her about an incident during which she went to McCallum害羞草研究所檚 home in Crescent Beach. 害羞草研究所淗e was not governing the city in a democratic way,害羞草研究所� she replied. She added she thought it a legitimate way to protest and that she was not on his property.

害羞草研究所淛ust so you know, I voted for Mr. McCallum in 2018,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淢r. Peck, there have been many things that have gone wrong.害羞草研究所�

She told the court about her hanging out a sign during a provincial election when she saw someone in a black SUV with a gun.

害羞草研究所淚 also reported the death threat that was sprayed on my garage.害羞草研究所�

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Peck said she had no rational basis to suggest McCallum was behind these acts.

害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 say Mr. McCallum did it,害羞草研究所� Johnstone retorted, adding she assumed it was 害羞草研究所渓ousy supporters害羞草研究所� of his.

Peck asked Johnstone if it害羞草研究所檚 her habit to demean people with physical disabilities, referencing her comment about McCallum害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渟caly害羞草研究所� face.

害羞草研究所淣o,害羞草研究所� she replied. 害羞草研究所淢r. McCallum has been very disrespectful to me.害羞草研究所�

The Crown is proceeding summarily in McCallum害羞草研究所檚 trial.

Criminal cases are prosecuted either by indictment, summarily or a hybrid of the two. Summary offences are the least serious of the three.

A person charged with an indictable offence is required to appear in court whereas someone accused of a summary offence does not, unless a judge says otherwise. A summary offence in B.C. is considered to be in the realm of petty crime and under the Criminal Code of Canada is the least serious type of offence.

After a 13-year break from the mayor害羞草研究所檚 chair, which he occupied from 1996 to 2005, McCallum was sworn in by a judge on Nov. 5, 2018 for his fourth term as Surrey害羞草研究所檚 mayor.

Brenda Locke, of Surrey Connect, defeated him for the mayor害羞草研究所檚 seat in the Oct. 15 election by 973 votes with 33,311 to McCallum害羞草研究所檚 32,338. One of her election promises was to make McCallum pay for his own legal costs in this case, rather than Surrey taxpayers having to foot the bill.

Locke said Monday she害羞草研究所檚 instructed city staff to that end, 害羞草研究所渁nd that they are to seek outside legal for an opinion regarding the city害羞草研究所檚 obligation.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 been a day of raw emotions. A man who had been in the courtroom was wrestled down and detained by sheriffs following a ruckus on an upper floor of the courthouse during the afternoon break.

The trial continues.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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