A Haliburton man stopped by Toronto police with a loaded crossbow two days before the G20 summit told an officer he was carrying it in case a neighbour broke into his car, a court has heard.
The arrest on a charge of weapons dangerous a short distance from the G20 security fence was one of the first of hundreds linked to the upcoming summit and made international headlines.
Gary McCullough, 54, had a wobbly homemade roof carrier on his beat-up old car as he drove on The Esplanade, a block east of Yonge St., Const. George Maxwell testified at the man’s provincial court trial Thursday.
Another officer stopped the silver Hyundai, opened the roof carrier, and retrieved a loaded crossbow.
Maxwell approached McCullough, who was standing outside his car, and asked him why he had the crossbow.
“Mr. McCullough made the claim that he had been dealing with a neighbour in Haliburton who had broken into his vehicle front passenger window,” Maxwell testified.
McCullough further explained that he carried the crossbow for a potential encounter with the suspect, Maxwell added.
He also said he had a video camera mounted on the dashboard “to record further crimes against him or his property,” Maxwell told prosecutor Ryan Wilson.
Maxwell said he phoned police in the Haliburton area, and they confirmed that McCullough had reported such a break-in.
Defence lawyer James Carlisle suggested the officer was confused about what McCullough actually told him on June 24, 2010.
What McCullough actually said was that before he drove to Toronto he put many of his valuables, including the crossbow, in his car or roof carrier so they wouldn’t be stolen by the neighbour while he was away, Carlisle suggested.
The officer said he can’t recall McCullough saying that.
Also found in the car or roof carrier were a chainsaw, knife, hatchet, cylinder of propane and containers “possibly of gasoline,” Maxwell said.
Carlisle asked Justice David Fairgrieve to acquit his client immediately on the basis that there was no proof that the crossbow, which itself is legal, was intended as a weapon.
The judge rejected the argument, noting that McCullough was two blocks from the G20 perimeter with the loaded crossbow.
“It simply has no use in downtown Toronto apart from being used as a weapon,” Fairgrieve said.
But outside court, McCullough denied any such intention. “It’s ridiculous. It’s a legal device,” he said.
Source: http://www.thestar.com
The arrest on a charge of weapons dangerous a short distance from the G20 security fence was one of the first of hundreds linked to the upcoming summit and made international headlines.
Gary McCullough, 54, had a wobbly homemade roof carrier on his beat-up old car as he drove on The Esplanade, a block east of Yonge St., Const. George Maxwell testified at the man’s provincial court trial Thursday.
Another officer stopped the silver Hyundai, opened the roof carrier, and retrieved a loaded crossbow.
Maxwell approached McCullough, who was standing outside his car, and asked him why he had the crossbow.
“Mr. McCullough made the claim that he had been dealing with a neighbour in Haliburton who had broken into his vehicle front passenger window,” Maxwell testified.
McCullough further explained that he carried the crossbow for a potential encounter with the suspect, Maxwell added.
He also said he had a video camera mounted on the dashboard “to record further crimes against him or his property,” Maxwell told prosecutor Ryan Wilson.
Maxwell said he phoned police in the Haliburton area, and they confirmed that McCullough had reported such a break-in.
Defence lawyer James Carlisle suggested the officer was confused about what McCullough actually told him on June 24, 2010.
What McCullough actually said was that before he drove to Toronto he put many of his valuables, including the crossbow, in his car or roof carrier so they wouldn’t be stolen by the neighbour while he was away, Carlisle suggested.
The officer said he can’t recall McCullough saying that.
Also found in the car or roof carrier were a chainsaw, knife, hatchet, cylinder of propane and containers “possibly of gasoline,” Maxwell said.
Carlisle asked Justice David Fairgrieve to acquit his client immediately on the basis that there was no proof that the crossbow, which itself is legal, was intended as a weapon.
The judge rejected the argument, noting that McCullough was two blocks from the G20 perimeter with the loaded crossbow.
“It simply has no use in downtown Toronto apart from being used as a weapon,” Fairgrieve said.
But outside court, McCullough denied any such intention. “It’s ridiculous. It’s a legal device,” he said.
Source: http://www.thestar.com
No comments:
Post a Comment