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| NEWS > 21 February 2008 |
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Officer claims raw deal
Officer Randall Price understands why many police departments wouldn't hire him. After cycling through eight jobs in 11 years, his work history is marred by multiple firings, allegations of misconduct and brutality claims.
On paper, Price appears to be the quintessential "gypsy cop," an itinerant officer who hops from job to job, leaving turmoil and bad blood in his wake. Price, who now works for the Cottageville police, puts it even more bluntly.
"On paper, I am a big dirtbag," he said, shaking his head.
Price, 38, insists he is the victim of small-town politics ... Read more
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Globe and Mail - Canada
21 February 2008
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Canada: Judges delay decision
TORONTO -- Bound in handcuffs, a former city police officer convicted of contempt of court for refusing to testify at a pedophile inquiry in Cornwall, Ont., was greeted with a standing ovation and cheers yesterday by about two dozen supporters as he walked into a Toronto courtroom.
But hours later, onlookers shed tears when the two judges overseeing the case ruled that Perry Dunlop will have to spend another two weeks behind bars before he learns his fate.
Mr. Dunlop, 46, credited with bringing to light explosive allegations of widespread child sexual abuse in Eastern Ontario, repeatedly refused to testify at the inquiry in September, saying he has no faith in the judicial system. He was found in contempt, resulting in lawyers yesterday asking the court to sentence him to as many as six months in jail.
Two Ontario Divisional Court judges reserved their decision until March 5 and ordered Mr. Dunlop into protective custody at a Toronto-area jail. They must also decide whether his refusal to obey a further court order to testify at the inquiry constitutes criminal contempt.
In a packed courtroom, a tearful Mr. Dunlop, who represented himself and often referred to himself in the third person, said he was a law-abiding man but not emotionally prepared to face the scrutiny of lawyers at the inquiry. He said other victims on the stand have been attacked.
Mr. Dunlop said his life has been a "nightmare" since he made public 15 years ago the results of his investigation of an alleged pedophile ring in which clergy and community leaders in Cornwall were accused of sexual child abuse, prompting police to launch a probe called Project Truth.
The investigation resulted in just one conviction and failed to turn up any evidence of a sex ring. A public inquiry into the systemic response to those long-standing allegations was commissioned by the government in 2005.
In shocking testimony in June, Ron Leroux, the only complainant who claimed to have firsthand evidence of a clan of pedophiles in Cornwall, recanted his story.
Mr. Dunlop told the court yesterday that he would rather go to jail than appear before the commission, saying those involved in the process are out to "crucify" him.
"It's one versus 70 [lawyers], and they're all out to get me. You'll have a hard time changing my mind," he said, as his wife, Helen, placed her hand on his shoulder. "I will never walk into that public inquiry. [I'd rather] go to jail."
Mr. Justice Lee Ferrier said that while he appreciates that the father of three doesn't want to be "pummelled by lawyers" in the inquiry, Mr. Dunlop's testimony would perhaps benefit children and put this saga behind him once and for all.
But Mr. Dunlop stood firm.
"I've done as much as I can," he responded. "I just don't have the heart to go in there and face the barrage of the inquiry."
Mr. Dunlop, a resident of Duncan, B.C., was arrested Sunday and flown to Toronto on a Canada-wide warrant.
Commission lawyer Brian Gover told the court yesterday that Mr. Dunlop's "blatant disregard" for the work of the inquiry should be punished.
But Mr. Dunlop and his wife criticized the inquiry, saying it's a cover-up meant to protect wealthy and powerful pedophiles in Cornwall from being prosecuted.
Outside the courthouse, Ms. Dunlop said the treatment of her husband over the past 15 years is proof that whistleblowers are not welcome. "I think it's very ironic that the one man who stood up and did the right thing to protect children is now going to have a criminal record, quite possibly," she told reporters.
Mr. Dunlop has been given the option to testify when the inquiry resumes on Monday. But he still has to remain in custody until March 5. Lawyers have asked the court to consider letting him go, should he testify.
As Mr. Dunlop was led out of the courtroom yesterday, handcuffs on his wrists, his supporters hugged him. "You're not alone, Perry," one yelled. "You're not alone."
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