OPP officer found guilty of sexually assaulting unconscious

These are violations by the Ontario Provincial Police officers dealing with the Criminal Code of Canada, Controlled Substance and Abuse Act, Customs and Excise Act, etc.

OPP officer found guilty of sexually assaulting unconscious

Postby Thomas » Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:25 am

OPP officer found guilty of sexually assaulting unconscious woman and filming it

Witnesses say Const. Jason Redmond did it to show the victim 'how easily she could be raped' when drunk

A judge has found that Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Const. Jason Redmond sexually assaulted an unconscious woman while recording it on his mobile phone, and heard from witnesses that Redmond did it to show the victim "how easily she could be raped when she was drunk," and "to teach [her] a lesson."

In a two-day, judge-only trial at a Brockville courthouse last August, Justice Janet O'Brien heard Crown witness testimonies that she recounted when delivering her decision earlier this year, a court transcript obtained by CBC News shows. Redmond was convicted of sexual assault.

The judge read in her ruling that according to one witness, Redmond was "proving a point" to the victim that she had a drinking problem, and "he made the video to show that anybody could rape her."

Redmond was previously convicted of drug trafficking in 2018 but received only one year of probation and no jail time. He has been on paid leave from the OPP since he was charged in that case in 2015.

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In Oct. 2021, Redmond was arrested and charged with sexual assault, according to the OPP. In an emailed statement, the OPP said it did not issue a press release informing the public of the charge at the time "in an effort to protect the identity of the victim." Redmond pleaded not guilty.

The final ruling was delivered on Feb. 16, just over five years after the assault happened.

'He thought it was funny'

The court transcript shows that justice O'Brien heard about the assault and the video from five witnesses, including the victim and others in Redmond's inner circle.

CBC News is not naming the victim or the witnesses in this case, as the victim's identity and some of the circumstances surrounding the sexual assault are protected by a publication ban.

According to the court transcript, the judge found that the assault took place in December 2017, after the victim "consumed a large amount of alcohol to the point of extreme intoxication." The court also heard that both the victim and Redmond had used cocaine several times that day.

"[She] lost consciousness either because she went to sleep or as a result of the effects of alcohol, or a combination of these," the judge said.

According to the judge, Redmond told the victim the next day that "he had sexual intercourse with her while she was passed out, that she wasn't aware of it, and that he had recorded it on his phone," and held his phone out to show her.

Justice O'Brien recalled the victim testifying that she was embarrassed she couldn't remember what had happened, so she pushed his hand away, did not watch the video and went about her day as normal.

Shortly after, several people in Redmond's inner circle became aware that the video existed, including those who testified in court.

Three witnesses, not including the victim, said they learned about the video directly from Redmond, who tried to show it to them. Another witness claimed to have unintentionally found the video.

The judge said she heard from one witness who said when Redmond told them about the video, they "thought at first it was a joke because [he] was kind of laughing."

"He appeared to find what he had done funny and was making fun of [the victim]."

Another witness testified that on a different occasion, Redmond said he was "teaching [the victim] a lesson," and laughed about a member of his inner circle finding and watching the video.

The witness who found the video told the court that when they confronted Redmond about it, he said "he did it to teach [the victim] a lesson about how easily she could be raped when she was drunk."

In his defence, court transcripts show that Redmond said none of the Crown witnesses were credible or reliable, including the victim who was "drinking excessively" at the time of the incident. According to the judge, Redmond also brought up how no video was shown to the court, despite several witnesses testifying to its existence.

OPP seeking dismissal

In an emailed statement, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the police force has been seeking dismissal of Redmond since his initial conviction of drug trafficking in 2018.

"This behaviour is unacceptable for any police officer and cannot be tolerated," Carrique wrote.

Carrique explained that the OPP's Professional Standards Unit laid charges under the Police Services Act shortly after Redmond's initial conviction.

He was then convicted on the charges, and the adjudicator for the case ordered that Redmond be dismissed from the OPP but denied a request to avoid automatically staying the conviction and penalty if appealed.

The OPP wrote that the dismissal ruling was immediately appealed by Redmond, which has allowed him to continue to collect his salary for the last seven and a half years while being suspended on paid leave.

The appeal is now the subject of a hearing on June 15, before the Ontario Civilian Police Commission.

Redmond's name was included on the 2021 Ontario Sunshine List, which is annually published by the province and publicly discloses the names of all public sector employees who earned $100,000 or more.

According to the list, Redmond made $121,047.96 that year.

According to OPP, Redmond is still before the court "facing 17 additional serious criminal charges including assault, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and others in connection with multiple victims."

He's set to appear before the court for sentencing in this case on April 14.

The Police Association of Ontario, which is the official provincial representative of 45 police associations across the province, told CBC in an emailed statement that it does not condone criminal conduct of any kind, by anyone.

"This case is disturbing and we're glad to see the individual will be held responsible," a spokesperson wrote.

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OPP officer guilty of sexual assault on unconscious woman an

Postby Thomas » Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:39 am

OPP officer guilty of sexual assault on unconscious woman and recording it to 'teach her a lesson'

A judge found Jason Redmond made a video of the assault to 'prove' the victim had a drinking problem and 'to show that anybody could rape her'

An Ontario Provincial Police officer in Leeds County was convicted of sexual assault for having sex with an unconscious woman and recording it on his phone.

Jason Redmond, a constable with the Ontario Provincial Police in Leeds County, was found guilty of sexual assault in a Brockville courtroom last month for having sexual intercourse with a woman while she was unconscious.

A judge found Redmond also made a video of the assault on his phone to “prove” the victim had a drinking problem, and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

“He made the video to show that anybody could rape her,” Ontario Court Justice Janet O’Brien read in her ruling last month, recalling the testimony of one Crown witness.

Redmond, who has been on paid leave from the provincial police service since 2015 after being involved in a local drug trafficking operation, was charged with sexual assault in 2021.

He pleaded not guilty. His trial took place over two days this past August at the Brockville courthouse, and the decision was handed down on Feb. 16 in a judge-alone trial.

The OPP did not inform the public of the charge.

While the trial took place last summer, the assault itself happened in December 2017.

On the day in question, the victim had been drinking alcohol, the court heard, while both she and Redmond did cocaine many times throughout the day, as well.

The judge found the victim, over the course of a long day of drinking and drug use, eventually lost consciousness “either because she went to sleep or as a result of the effects of alcohol, or a combination of these.”

The next day, Redmond told her about what he’d done – that he had sex with her while she was passed out, that he knew she wasn’t aware of it, and that he had recorded it on his phone.

He tried to show her the video to prove how intoxicated she had been, she testified in trial, but she was embarrassed that she couldn’t remember it, pushed his hand away, and went about her day as normal.

As time went on, the existence of the video eventually became known to many people in Redmond’s inner circle, including several people who took the stand.

Over the course of the two-day trial, the court heard from several Crown witnesses, all of whom testified Redmond told them he had sex with the victim while unconscious, and made a video to “teach her a lesson,” a court transcript reads.

Three witnesses testified to Redmond bragging and trying to show them the video, while a fourth testified to inadvertently finding the recording.

One of the witnesses, while testifying, said Redmond “was kind of laughing” when talking about the incident.

“He appeared to find what he had done funny and was making fun of (her),” one of the witnesses testified.

The OPP eventually became aware of the video’s existence, prompting a criminal investigation in 2021, which led to the sexual assault charge against the officer.

Redmond argued the victim’s inability to remember was not proof she did not consent. The judge found, however, that the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she “did not consent to the sexual touching either because she was unconscious or she was incapable of consenting.”

The video was not shown as evidence in the trial, but the judge found the Crown had done its job proving its existence.

“Based on the circumstantial evidence, I find the only reasonable inference is that Mr. Redmond recorded himself having sexual intercourse with (the victim) while she was unconscious or in a state of near unconsciousness,” the judge ruled.

This was further solidified when the victim testified she had no memory of the assault.

“(She) was unaware of any sexual touching. Mr. Redmond knew that (she) was unaware he had sexual intercourse with her.”

The victim’s identity and some of the circumstances surrounding the sexual assault are protected by a publication ban.

Redmond, who started working with the OPP in the mid-2000s, was involved in another high-profile case after being convicted of drug trafficking in 2015 stemming from his involvement with Project Arrowtown.

Project Arrowtown was a case where police “conducted an 18-month investigation into criminal activity by police officers in Leeds County,” where an undercover officer posed as a petty criminal to connect Redmond and other officers with illegal drug activity.

Redmond pleaded guilty to a pot-trafficking charge and was found guilty of forging documents in 2018, but was not given jail time for his crimes.

He has remained on paid leave from the force ever since. On Wednesday morning, an OPP spokesperson confirmed that despite his several convictions, Redmond is still employed.

“I can confirm that Jason Redmond’s employment with the OPP remains the same at this time. He is still on paid leave,” Acting Sergeant Erin Cranton said in an email.

His name was included on the 2021 public sector salary list, where the province annually publishes the names of all public sector employees who were paid $100,000 or more.

He made $121,047.96 that year, according to the province.

Redmond is due back in court Apr. 14 for sentencing.

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OPP officer in Leeds County guilty of sex assault for having

Postby Thomas » Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:42 am

OPP officer in Leeds County guilty of sex assault for having sex with unconscious woman, recording it

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14.

BROCKVILLE — An Ontario Provincial Police officer in Leeds County has been convicted of sexual assault for having sex with an unconscious woman and recording it on his phone.

Jason Redmond, an OPP constable, was found guilty of sexual assault in a Brockville courtroom last month for having sexual intercourse with a woman while she was unconscious.

A judge found Redmond also made a video of the assault on his phone to “prove” the victim had a drinking problem and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

“He made the video to show that anybody could rape her,” Ontario Court Justice Janet O’Brien read in her ruling last month, recalling the testimony of one Crown witness.

Redmond, who has been on paid leave from the OPP since 2015 after being involved in a drug trafficking operation, was charged with sexual assault in 2021.

He pleaded not guilty. His trial took place over two days in August at the Brockville courthouse, and the decision in the judge-alone trial was handed down on Feb. 16.

The OPP did not inform the public of the charge.

While the trial took place last summer, the assault happened in December 2017.

On the day in question, the victim had been drinking alcohol, the court heard, while both she and Redmond also did cocaine many times throughout the day.

The judge found the victim, over the course of a long day of drinking and drug use, eventually lost consciousness, “either because she went to sleep or as a result of the effects of alcohol, or a combination of these.”

The next day, Redmond told her about what he’d done: that he had sex with her while she was passed out, that he knew she wasn’t aware of it and that he had recorded it on his phone.

He tried to show her the video to prove how intoxicated she had been, she testified in the trial, but she was embarrassed that she couldn’t remember the incident, pushed his hand away and went about her day as normal.

As time went on, the existence of the video became known to many people in Redmond’s inner circle, including several people who were on the witness stand during the trial.

Over the course of the two-day trial, the court heard from several Crown witnesses, all of whom testified Redmond told them he had sex with the victim while she was unconscious and made a video to “teach her a lesson,” a court transcript reads.

Three witnesses testified to Redmond bragging and trying to show them the video, while a fourth testified to inadvertently finding the recording.

One witness, while testifying, said Redmond “was kind of laughing” when talking about the incident.

“He appeared to find what he had done funny and was making fun of (her),” the witness testified.

The OPP eventually became aware of the video, prompting a criminal investigation in 2021, which led to the sexual assault charge against Redmond.

Redmond argued the victim’s inability to remember was not proof she did not consent. The judge found, however, the Crown had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that she “did not consent to the sexual touching either because she was unconscious or she was incapable of consenting.”

The video was not shown during the trial, but the judge ruled the Crown had done its job of proving its existence.

“Based on the circumstantial evidence, I find the only reasonable inference is that Mr. Redmond recorded himself having sexual intercourse with (the victim) while she was unconscious or in a state of near unconsciousness,” the judge ruled.

This was further solidified when the victim testified she had no memory of the assault. “(She) was unaware of any sexual touching. Mr. Redmond knew that (she) was unaware he had sexual intercourse with her,” the judge ruled.

The victim’s identity and some of the circumstances surrounding the sexual assault are protected by a court-ordered publication ban.

Redmond, who started working with the OPP in the mid-2000s, was involved in another high-profile case after being convicted of drug trafficking in 2015, stemming from his involvement with Project Arrowtown.

Project Arrowtown was a case where police “conducted an 18-month investigation into criminal activity by police officers in Leeds County,” where an undercover officer posed as a petty criminal to connect Redmond and other officers with illegal drug activity.

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Ontario Police Officer Found Guilty After Recording Sexual A

Postby Thomas » Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:46 am

Ontario Police Officer Found Guilty After Recording Sexual Assault of Woman to ‘Teach Her a Lesson’

Jason Redmond, a constable with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Leeds County was convicted of sexual assault for having and recording non-consensual sex with an unconscious woman.

The National Post reported that Ontario Court Justice Janet O’Brien concluded that, in the video Redmond recorded, he tried to “prove” that the woman had a problem with alcohol and wanted to “teach her a lesson” about the dangers of getting inebriated.

“He made the video to show that anybody could rape her,” O’Brien said in her ruling back in February.

Redmond was charged with sexual assault back in 2021, though the assault occurred in 2017.

During the trial, the victim admitted that she had been drinking and doing cocaine with Redmond throughout the day and eventually passed out.

The following day, Redmond told the victim what he had done and attempted to show her the video he recorded.

Though she had initially brushed off the situation, others in Redmond’s inner circle found out about it and eventually took the stand during the trial.

One of the witnesses added that Redmond “was kind of laughing” about the incident.

“He appeared to find what he had done funny and was making fun of (her),” one of the witnesses testified, according to the National Post.

The judge eventually found Redmond guilty of the charges.

“Based on the circumstantial evidence, I find the only reasonable inference is that Mr. Redmond recorded himself having sexual intercourse with (the victim) while she was unconscious or in a state of near unconsciousness,” the judge said.

Redmond has had a history of trouble during his time with the OPP. Since 2015, he had been on paid leave after being involved in a local drug trafficking operation.

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Officer’s sex assault conviction ‘troubling,’ OPP commission

Postby Thomas » Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:48 am

Officer’s sex assault conviction ‘troubling,’ OPP commissioner says

“This behaviour is unacceptable for any police officer and cannot be tolerated.”

BROCKVILLE — The commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police says that the actions of a Leeds County officer convicted of sexual assault are “unacceptable” and that his agency has been trying to fire him for years.

In response to a Postmedia story that OPP officer Jason Redmond was convicted in February of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman and filming it on his phone to “teach her a lesson,” the OPP said it had been trying to dismiss him from the force since he was convicted of drug trafficking in 2018.

This process has been met with a series of delays and appeals, the OPP said Friday, and the matter remains before an adjudicator.

Redmond remains on paid leave.

“I know this is troubling for not only members of the public, but for our own members who always seek to serve the people of Ontario with pride, professionalism and honour,” OPP commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a media release late Thursday night.

“The OPP has been seeking dismissal of this individual since his initial conviction. This behaviour is unacceptable for any police officer and cannot be tolerated.”

In February, a judge in Brockville found Redmond guilty of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman in 2017 and making a video of it on his phone to “prove” she had a drinking problem and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

He pleaded not guilty and argued the victim’s inability to remember was not proof that she did not consent. The judge did not agree and, after a two-day trial, found Redmond guilty.

He will be sentenced on April 14.

Years before this conviction, Redmond was involved in another case involving illegal activity among OPP officers.

This was in connection with Project Arrowtown, a situation where police “conducted an 18-month investigation into criminal activity by police officers in Leeds County,” and eventually charged Redmond and other officers with illegal drug activity.

Redmond was charged in November 2015 and convicted in October 2018 for trafficking a controlled substance and using a forged document.

He has been suspended with pay by the OPP since those charges were laid in 2015.

After that conviction, Carrique said, the OPP Professional Standards Unit laid charges under the Police Services Act to have Redmond dismissed.

This was initiated on Nov. 14, 2018, but hearings were “delayed multiple times,” OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson said Friday. The process continued until November 2022, when the adjudicator sided with the OPP and ordered that Redmond be dismissed.

Citing privacy concerns, Dickson wouldn’t elaborate on the nature of the delays.

Redmond immediately appealed his dismissal, further lengthening the years-long process.

That appeal remains before the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, with the next hearing scheduled for June 15.

While in the process of trying to dismiss Redmond for his 2018 conviction, Carrique said, the OPP began another investigation in August 2021 “related to allegations regarding numerous violent offences stemming from 2017.”

Redmond was arrested and charged with sexual assault on Oct. 15, 2021.

The OPP did not inform the public of the charge, though, which Carrique said was an effort to protect the victim’s identity.

The Police Services Act says an officer charged with a criminal offence can only be suspended with pay. In order for someone to be suspended without pay, the person must be convicted and sentenced to a term of incarceration.

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Officer’s sex assault conviction ‘troubling,’ OPP commission

Postby Thomas » Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:50 am

Officer’s sex assault conviction ‘troubling,’ OPP commissioner says

The commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police says the actions of a Leeds County officer convicted of sexual assault are “unacceptable,” and that his agency has been trying to fire him for years.

In response to the Recorder and Times story about OPP officer Jason Redmond being convicted in February of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman and filming it on his phone to “teach her a lesson,” the OPP said they have been trying to dismiss him from the force since he was first convicted of drug trafficking in 2018.

This process has been met with a series of delays and appeals, provincial police said on Friday, and the matter is still before an adjudicator.

Redmond remains on paid leave.

“I know this is troubling for not only members of the public, but for our own members who always seek to serve the people of Ontario with pride, professionalism and honour,” OPP commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a media release late Thursday night.

“The OPP has been seeking dismissal of this individual since his initial conviction. This behaviour is unacceptable for any police officer and cannot be tolerated.”

In February, a judge in Brockville found Redmond guilty of sexual assault after raping an unconscious woman in 2017, and making a video of it on his phone to “prove” she had a drinking problem and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

He pleaded not guilty, and argued the victim’s inability to remember was not proof she did not consent. The judge did not agree, and after a two-day trial, found him guilty.

He will be sentenced on Apr. 14.

But years before this conviction, Redmond was involved in another major local case involving illegal activity among OPP officers.

This was in connection with Project Arrowtown, a situation where police “conducted an 18-month investigation into criminal activity by police officers in Leeds County,” and eventually charged Redmond and other officers with illegal drug activity.

He was charged in November 2015, and subsequently convicted in October 2018, for trafficking a controlled substance and using a forged document.

He has been suspended with pay since the charges were laid in 2015.

Once convicted, Carrique says the OPP Professional Standards Unit laid charges under the Police Services Act to have Redmond dismissed.

This was initiated on Nov. 14, 2018, but the hearings were “delayed multiple times,” OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson said Friday. The process continued until November 2022 when the adjudicator sided with the OPP and ordered Redmond be dismissed.

Citing privacy concerns, Dickson wouldn’t elaborate on the nature of the delays.

Redmond immediately appealed his dismissal, further lengthening a years-long process.

The appeal is still before the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, with the next hearing scheduled for Jun. 15.

While in the process of trying to dismiss him for his 2018 crimes, Carrique says they began another investigation in August 2021 “related to allegations regarding numerous violent offences stemming from 2017.”

Redmond was arrested and charged with sexual assault on Oct. 15, 2021.

The OPP did not inform the public of the charge, and Carrique said it was in an effort to protect the victim’s identity.

The Police Services Act currently says an officer charged with a criminal offence can only be suspended with pay. In order for someone to be suspended without pay, the person must be convicted and be sentenced to a term of incarceration.

Redmond was not given jail time for his 2018 crimes; he was placed on probation for one year by the court.

This enabled him to collect his salary during the OPP’s efforts to remove him from the force, a process governed by the Police Services Act.

But changes are coming to that Act, according to the Office of the Solicitor General, particularly with regard to suspensions and collecting a salary while being charged with serious crimes.

Hunter Kell, a spokesperson for the Office of the Solicitor General, said an overhaul to the controversial Act is on its way.

“No one convicted of serious and disturbing crimes like these should be receiving a taxpayer-funded salary,” Kell said on Friday.

“Recognizing that, we brought forward legislation, the Community Safety and Policing Act, that once in force will allow a chief of police to suspend an officer without pay if the officer is charged with a serious offence.”

The new act will replace the Police Services Act, and Kell confirmed the ministry’s target is to bring it into force between fall 2023 and early 2024.

Carrique confirmed Redmond is still facing “17 additional serious criminal charges including assault, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and others in connection with multiple victims.”

He asked that the public not judge all police officers for the actions of one.

“Daily, in service to the public, OPP officers exhibit and exercise integrity, honesty and courage. We encourage everyone to recognize this and to not judge all officers by the actions of this specific individual.”

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OPP officer who made video recording while raping woman face

Postby Thomas » Thu Apr 20, 2023 2:31 pm

OPP officer who made video recording while raping woman faces 11 new assault charges

The alleged victim in the new assault charges is not the same woman from Jason Redmond’s sexual assault conviction earlier this year

An embattled Ontario Provincial Police officer was back in court once again, this time he is being accused of nearly a dozen violent crimes.

Jason Redmond, a Leeds County OPP officer recently convicted of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman in 2017, is facing 11 additional charges stemming from a criminal investigation involving multiple allegations of abuse.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges: six counts of assault, three counts of assault causing bodily harm, one count of assault with a weapon and one count of failing to provide the necessaries of life.

Redmond was originally charged with 17 offences when the investigation began in 2021, but six of the charges were dropped before making it to trial.

The alleged victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, is not the same woman from Redmond’s sexual assault conviction earlier this year.

In this most recent case, the Crown alleges Redmond violently assaulted the woman on multiple occasions, claiming he choked, punched, pushed, hit, and cut her with a knife.

This abuse often left bruises and cuts on her body, the Crown said.

Crown attorney Lorne Goldstein described Redmond as a violent and angry man. He consumed cocaine and alcohol often, a factor that often exacerbated the abuse, he said.

The court heard the alleged victim was also a drug user who often consumed cocaine and crack.

“We have a victim who was in the grips of a profound addiction,” Goldstein told the court.

“That does not give Mr. Redmond licence to abuse her.”

Multiple graphic photos of the woman’s alleged injuries were shown in court, but defence lawyer Karin Stein said it was impossible to know when the photos were taken or how the injuries occurred.

The photos, even though they depicted injuries to the woman’s face, “simply can’t be relied on,” she argued.

Several Crown witnesses were called to the stand over the course of the trial in March, many of whom claimed they saw the woman’s injuries after the alleged abuse happened. One person testified to witnessing the abuse first-hand, Goldstein said.

The defence denied the allegations of abuse, and said the Crown had not sufficiently done its job proving the charges.

Stein said in her closing arguments that the alleged victim had serious reliability and credibility issues, lending significant doubt to her testimony.

She was a “self-proclaimed crack addict,” Stein said, leading to intense memory problems over long periods of time.

This led to her often lying to everyone in her life, Stein said, including doctors, family, friends and police.

Stein said because nobody saw the alleged abuse happen — casting doubt on the one person who claimed to be an eye-witness because the witness is a child — the judge can’t convict Redmond based on the woman’s word alone.

“We can’t rely on her evidence, and all we have is her evidence,” Stein said.

“We have her saying this is how she got the injury, but we don’t have any independent evidence. Nobody saw, obviously, any of these incidents occur between the two of them. People saw injuries to her, but we don’t know, beyond (her) word, how she obtained these injuries.”

The Crown said, however, that just because the woman had an addiction, it doesn’t mean it’s enough to dismiss her account of what happened.

Stein claimed if the abuse actually happened, that she would have called the police. Goldstein said, however, that the woman didn’t come forward because Redmond himself was an OPP officer.

“She regrets not calling the police. She was afraid,” he said.

In February, a judge in Brockville found Redmond guilty of sexual assault after raping an unconscious woman in 2017 and making a video of it on his phone to “prove” she had a drinking problem and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

He was also convicted in October 2018 for trafficking a controlled substance and using a forged document.

Despite these multiple convictions, he remains on the OPP’s payroll because the Police Services Act currently says an officer charged with a criminal offence can only be suspended with pay.

In order for someone to be suspended without pay, the person must be convicted and be sentenced to a term of incarceration. Redmond was not given jail time for his 2018 crimes.

He will be sentenced for his sexual assault conviction on May 31.

Redmond was not physically in the courtroom Tuesday; he and his lawyer, along with the Crown attorney and judge, all attended the hearing by videoconference.

Sitting in a dimly lit room wearing a light-coloured dress shirt, Redmond’s camera cut out many times during his lawyer’s arguments. The court proceedings were briefly paused to address the issue after the Crown attorney pointed out Redmond’s absence.

Redmond and his lawyer went into a private meeting, and when they came back said the reason he kept turning off his camera was because he was blowing his nose and coughing. He didn’t want to be a distraction, Stein said, despite the fact his microphone was muted.

He was instructed to keep his camera on.

Ontario Court Justice Donna Hackett will deliver a verdict on all 11 charges on June 9 at the Brockville courthouse.

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Sentencing delayed for OPP officer convicted of sexual assau

Postby Thomas » Thu Apr 20, 2023 2:45 pm

Sentencing delayed for OPP officer convicted of sexual assault

A sentencing hearing for an Ontario Provincial Police officer convicted of sexual assault has been delayed by six weeks.

A sentencing hearing for an Ontario Provincial Police officer convicted of sexual assault has been delayed by six weeks.

A lawyer for Jason Redmond, a Leeds County OPP officer found guilty of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman and recording it on his phone, appeared in a Brockville courtroom Friday morning to request the matter be remanded until next month.

The hearing was originally on the docket for Friday, a timeslot typically reserved for the victim impact statement to be read aloud, but defense counsel Karin Stein appeared before the court via Zoom to make the request for a new date.

No reason was given for the delay. It was rescheduled for May 31.

In February, a judge in Brockville found Redmond guilty of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman in 2017 and making a video of it on his phone to “prove” she had a drinking problem and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

He pleaded not guilty, and during a two-day trial last summer, argued the victim’s inability to remember was not proof she did not consent.

The judge ultimately sided with the Crown, finding Redmond guilty of the charge in a Feb. 16 ruling.

Redmond, who started working with the OPP in the mid-2000s, committed the assault while on paid leave from the provincial police force.

He was charged in November 2015, and subsequently convicted in October 2018 for trafficking a controlled substance, and using a forged document in connection with Project Arrowtown – a major local case where police “conducted an 18-month investigation into criminal activity by police officers in Leeds County.”

He was not given jail time for his crimes, and has been suspended with pay since the charges were laid in 2015.

The OPP did not inform the public of the sexual assault charge, but Commissioner Thomas Carrique has since responded and claimed the agency has been trying to dismiss him from the force since he was first convicted in 2018.

This process has been met with a series of delays and appeals, he said, and the matter of his employment is still before an adjudicator.

The province’s solicitor general also said changes to policing laws governing paid leave are coming “as soon as possible.”

Michael Kerzner said earlier this month he’s directed the deputy minister to complete discussions surrounding the details of the Community Safety and Policing Act, a new law to govern the conduct of police officers throughout the province.

The new law, among other changes, will allow a chief of police to suspend an officer without pay if the officer is charged with a serious offence.

It was passed in 2019 – two years before Redmond’s latest charge – but it has yet to be enacted.

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OPP officer who sexually assaulted and filmed unconscious wo

Postby Thomas » Sat Jun 03, 2023 7:22 am

OPP officer who sexually assaulted and filmed unconscious woman could face 'exemplary' sentence

An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman while recording it on his mobile phone should be sentenced to five to seven years behind bars, the Crown told court on Wednesday.

The request by Crown attorney Peter Napier, made during a sentencing hearing in Brockville, Ont. for Const. Jason Redmond, is above the typical range of three to five years.

Redmond's lawyer Karin Stein suggested the lower end of the range — three years — was more appropriate.

Napier said the longer sentence was necessary given what he described as the "horrendous sexual assault" followed by a "litany of torment."

"Some cases have such a stark constellation of aggravating features that they call out for an exemplary sentence," he said in court.

Napier pointed out Redmond remains a police officer.

"To say that one would expect more is a gross understatement," said Napier.

"He ought to have known the moral blameworthiness of what he was doing and he ought to have known the harm he was causing, and the fact he tried to show everyone what he had done was just deplorable."


Lawyer says officer doesn't plan to return to OPP

Stein said her client has received death threats and continues to struggle with PTSD from childhood and work-related trauma, as well as an ongoing addiction to crack cocaine.

She also said Redmond has not been an active officer since 2014 and a pre-sentence report indicates he does not plan to return to policing.

"His status as a police officer is not long for this world, put it that way," she added.

Redmond sat in court next to Stein, with a greying beard and wearing a suit jacket, vest and jeans.

When asked by Justice Janet O'Brien if he had anything to say, he answered "respectfully no, your honour."

He was convicted of sexual assault on Feb. 16, just over five years after the incident in December 2017.

Court previously heard from witnesses that Redmond committed sexual assault, and filmed it, to show the victim "how easily she could be raped when she was drunk," and "to teach [her] a lesson," as first reported by the Recorder and Times newspaper.

In a two-day, judge-only trial held last August, O'Brien heard Crown witness testimonies, which she recounted while delivering her decision earlier this year, according to a court transcript obtained by CBC News.

According to one witness, Redmond was "proving a point" to the victim that she had a drinking problem, and "he made the video to show that anybody could rape her," the judge read in her ruling.

In his defence, court transcripts show he argued none of the Crown witnesses were credible or reliable, including the victim who was "drinking excessively" at the time of the incident.

The officer was previously convicted of drug trafficking in 2018, but received only one year of probation and no jail time. He has been on paid leave from the OPP since he was charged in that case in 2015.

Redmond was arrested and charged with sexual assault in October 2021, according to the OPP. In an emailed statement, the police force said it did not issue a news release informing the public of the charge at the time "in an effort to protect the identity of the victim."

CBC News is not naming the victim or the witnesses in this case, as the victim's identity and some of the circumstances surrounding the sexual assault are protected by a publication ban.

Napier said the assault had a "profound" impact on the victim, referring to statements where she described dealing with extreme anxiety, a fear of trusting others and having to live through "this nightmare" along with her family.

Police force seeking dismissal

In an emailed statement, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique previously said the force has been seeking Redmond's dismissal since his initial conviction of drug trafficking in 2018.

"This behaviour is unacceptable for any police officer and cannot be tolerated," Carrique wrote.

At the time, the OPP said Redmond is still before the court "facing 17 additional serious criminal charges including assault, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and others in connection with multiple victims."

Sentencing for the sexual assault is scheduled to take place on June 16.

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Crown seeks seven-year sentence for OPP officer’s ‘egregious

Postby Thomas » Sat Jun 03, 2023 7:32 am

Crown seeks seven-year sentence for OPP officer’s ‘egregious’ sexual assault

The victim said the assault in 2017 had transformed the way she lived her daily life.

BROCKVILLE — While an Ontario Provincial Police officer convicted of sexual assault awaits sentencing for his crime, his victim told a courtroom Wednesday that the incident had profoundly impacted her life.

Jason Redmond, a constable with the OPP in Leeds County, was back in court Wednesday for a sentencing hearing after being found guilty of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman in 2017 and making a video of it to “prove” she had a drinking problem.

In an emotional impact statement, his victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, described how the assault had transformed the way she lived her daily life.

“For me to explain how all of this has impacted me is almost indescribable. I try to push it all out of my mind but it is so heavy, so shameful and so embarrassing,” she told the courtroom, adding the impact to her mental health had been challenging.

“I don’t eat much. I don’t sleep much. I don’t laugh very much anymore. I’m never happy. My anxiety is extreme.”

Crown attorney Peter Napier said the case warranted an “exemplary sentence,” given the facts are so “egregious” and had such a profound impact on the victim’s life and overall well-being. He said a sentence anywhere between five and 10 years would be appropriate, but said seven years in prison would be ideal.

Redmond, who has been on paid leave from the OPP since 2015 after being involved in a local drug-trafficking operation, was charged with sexual assault in 2021.

He pleaded not guilty and argued the victim’s inability to remember was not proof she did not consent to sex. His trial took place over two days in August at the Brockville courthouse, and Ontario Court Justice Janet O’Brien found him guilty on Feb. 16.

The judge found the victim, over the course of a long day of drinking and drug use with Redmond, eventually lost consciousness “either because she went to sleep or as a result of the effects of alcohol, or a combination of these.”

She was unconscious and unable to give consent, but Redmond had sex with her anyway and made a video of it to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol, according to the court decision.

Napier said the assault was compounded by Redmond’s behaviour the next day and in the following weeks. Redmond mocked, degraded and humiliated the victim for what he did to her, he said.

Redmond was “tireless in his attempts to demean the victim, both to her face and to her friends,” Napier said Wednesday.

His “markedly abusive” behaviour after the assault should be considered an aggravating factor when the judge delivers a sentence, the Crown said. Napier also said Redmond should receive a lifetime weapons ban, be required to submit his DNA, be placed on the sex offender’s registry and be barred from communicating with the victim or any witnesses in the case.

Napier said Redmond had no boundaries in the situation and didn’t even realize what he’d done was wrong.

“He had to be told it was unacceptable behaviour,” Napier said. “He remains a police officer. To say one would expect more would be an understatement.”

Defence attorney Karin Stein said a sentence of two to three years in a federal penitentiary would be more appropriate, given the circumstances. She asked the judge to take into account Redmond’s personal situation, including “significant mental health issues” and the fact he suffers with addiction.

Stein said her client had made “significant efforts” to rehabilitate himself, but he remained an active drug user and dealt with several mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder and attention deficit disorder.

She said “it’s not a secret” he continued to use crack cocaine.

“It’s been a huge problem for him,” Stein said. “He’s under a tremendous amount of stress.”

Redmond has “feelings of guilt and shame about himself,” Stein said, adding he’s willing to undergo treatment, something he has tried previously.

The judge should take into account Redmond’s rehabilitation when coming up with a sentence, Stein said. Incarceration exacerbates the symptoms of PTSD, and Stein said Redmond should be “afforded the necessary treatment and support” while in prison. At some point, he’s going to be out of custody and back into society. It would benefit everyone if he were properly rehabilitated, she said.

In the meantime, the victim said the assault had made her feel generally unsafe in her life, forcing her to be guarded and constantly paranoid.

“Jason has dragged this trial on for years and my mental health is deteriorating more and more by the day. I’m hanging on by a thread,” she said.

She said she didn’t have health benefits to pay for therapy or medication, and it was made worse by the fact Redmond had lived comfortably for years on a taxpayer-funded salary.

“He has lived his best life on the river, facing no consequences, making astronomical amounts of money. He has no remorse for what he has done.”

Redmond also faces 11 charges stemming from a criminal investigation involving allegations of abuse against another woman.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges: six counts of assault; three counts of assault causing bodily harm; one count of assault with a weapon; and one count of failing to provide the necessaries of life. A judge has yet to make a decision in that case.

Redmond, who started working with the OPP in the mid-2000s, was involved in another high-profile case in 2015. Project Arrowtown was a case in which police conducted an 18-month investigation into criminal activity by police officers in Leeds County. Redmond pleaded guilty to a pot-trafficking charge and was found guilty of forging documents in 2018, but was not given jail time for those crimes.

He has remained on paid leave from the force ever since then.

The Police Services Act says an officer charged with a criminal offence can only be suspended with pay. For an officer to be suspended without pay, the person must be convicted and be sentenced to a term of incarceration.

This has enabled Redmond to collect his salary even as the OPP has made efforts to remove him from the force.

The public has been appropriately outraged by this fact, the victim said, but added people are “forgetting that there is a victim behind all of this, but I get lost in the mix.”

“(This trial) has consumed me and my life longer than what it should have. I should be free from him and any thoughts of him, but here I am, still having to relive a part of my life so publicly that is so extremely shameful to me,” she said.

She believes, however, that the court process won’t let her down “after all of these years of being a victim. I would really like to be able to say that everyone can trust in the justice system, and they should come forward against their abuser. I want people to know that there is justice out there, and that the system does work.”

Redmond attended Wednesday’s proceedings with his lawyer. When the judge asked him whether he wanted to say anything, he declined.

O’Brien will hand down the sentence on June 16.

sbedford@postmedia.com

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Crown seeks significant sentence for OPP officer convicted o

Postby Thomas » Sat Jun 03, 2023 7:38 am

Crown seeks significant sentence for OPP officer convicted of sexual assault

At a sentencing hearing in Brockville Wednesday, the Crown argued an "exemplary sentence" was warranted for the OPP officer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman and videotaping it given "all the aggravating features at play."

Jason Redmond was found guilty in February.

Crown attorney Peter Napier asked the judge to consider a prison sentence in the range of five to seven years.

Redmond’s lawyer suggested a sentence in a federal penitentiary of two to three years.

Redmond will be sentenced mid-June.

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/crown-seeks-s ... -1.6421696
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OPP officer guilty of nine counts of assault

Postby Thomas » Sat Jun 10, 2023 11:21 am

An Ontario Provincial Police officer in Leeds County was found guilty of nine new counts of assault Friday, adding to a growing list of convictions as his most recent trial comes to a close.

Jason Redmond, a Leeds County OPP officer recently convicted of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman in 2017, was found guilty of nine new counts of assault in a Brockville courtroom Friday afternoon.

Ontario Court Justice Donna Hackett found him guilty on five counts of assault, three counts of assault causing bodily harm, and one count of assault with a weapon.

He was found not guilty of one assault charge against a baby and another for failing to provide the necessaries of life.

The charges stemmed from a criminal investigation which began in 2021 involving multiple allegations of abuse.

Redmond was originally charged with 17 offences when the investigation began, but six of the charges were dropped before making it to trial.

He pleaded not guilty.

The case went to trial in March of this year, when seven witnesses were called to the stand, many of whom claimed they saw the woman’s injuries after the abuse happened.

The victim, whose identity was protected by a publication ban, is not the same woman from Redmond’s sexual assault conviction earlier this year.

In this most recent case, the judge found Redmond assaulted the woman on multiple occasions, including incidents of choking, punching, hitting, pushing, and one where he cut her with a knife during an argument.

The two often consumed cocaine and crack together, a factor that led to a tumultuous and toxic relationship, the judge found.

This abuse often left bruises and cuts on the woman’s body, the judge said, making reference to multiple graphic photographs presented as evidence throughout the trial.

The defense denied the allegations of abuse, with attorney Karin Stein previously claiming in her closing arguments the victim had serious reliability and credibility issues due, in part, to her drug addiction.

Because of this, Stein said the judge couldn’t rely on the woman’s evidence and could not convict her client based on her word alone.

But the judge ultimately found the woman, along with all Crown witnesses, were reliable and credible witnesses.

“After having carefully considered all the evidence, I find there is a significant amount of confirmatory and corroborating evidence before this court from the other seven Crown witnesses. After carefully considering everything, it is my view that the complainant is a credible and reliable witness,” the judge said on Friday.

She said the one witness called by the defence was not credible, claiming it was clear he was holding back information while testifying.

This is not Redmond’s first criminal conviction.

In February, a judge in Brockville found him guilty of sexual assault after raping an unconscious woman in 2017 and making a video of it on his phone to “prove” she had a drinking problem and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

He was also convicted in October 2018 for trafficking a controlled substance and using a forged document.

Despite these multiple convictions, he remains on the OPP’s payroll because the Police Services Act currently says an officer charged with a criminal offence can only be suspended with pay.

In order for someone to be suspended without pay, the person must be convicted and be sentenced to a term of incarceration. Redmond was not given jail time for his 2018 crimes and has yet to be sentenced for the sexual assault conviction.

Moments after being found guilty, Redmond quickly left the courtroom, telling his lawyer he was going to the bathroom. He immediately left the building and could be seen in the distance, walking away in the pouring rain.

The matter will be back in court June 16 to set a date for sentencing.

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Disgraced officer’s employment extended until October

Postby Thomas » Sat Jun 10, 2023 11:23 am

An Ontario Provincial Police officer convicted of sexual assault, drug trafficking, and forgery will remain employed until at least October after his upcoming employment hearing was inexplicably delayed.

Jason Redmond, a Leeds County OPP officer with multiple convictions under his belt, will not appear before the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) on June 15, when he was scheduled to appeal his termination from the police force.

The OCPC, the agency tasked with adjudicating policing matters, confirmed this week the hearing has been adjourned until October 5. They would not give a reason for the delay.

This means his employment will again be extended, further lengthening a process to terminate the officer which began with his original conviction in 2018.

Redmond, who began working with the OPP in the mid-2000s, has been on paid leave since he was originally charged in 2015 in connection with Project Arrowtown.

This high profile case was an 18-month investigation by Leeds County OPP into criminal activity by local police officers, and they eventually charged Redmond with illegal drug activity.

He was convicted in 2018 of drug trafficking and forgery, and more recently, in 2023, of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman. His sentencing for that crime is scheduled for June 15, where he is likely to receive jail time. In that case, the defence is asking for a sentence of two to three years in prison, while the Crown attorney said a sentence anywhere between five and seven years would be more appropriate.

According to the Police Services Act, once an officer is sentenced to jail time, the OPP can suspend him without pay.

Redmond was also in court Friday to hear a judgment on his 11 other criminal charges, including six counts of assault, three counts of assault causing bodily harm, one count of assault with a weapon, and one count of failing to provide the necessaries of life. He was found guilty on nine of those charges.

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique previously said the agency’s Professional Standards Unit laid charges under the Police Services Act to have Redmond dismissed almost immediately after his drug trafficking and forgery conviction.

This was initiated on Nov. 14, 2018, but the hearings were delayed multiple times over the years, the police force said.

The process continued until November 2022 when the adjudicator sided with the OPP and ordered that Redmond be dismissed. He immediately appealed his termination, meaning he would continue to collect his salary.

The appeal hearing was scheduled for June 15, before the OCPC, but yet another delay means his employment will again be extended, and he might continue to collect a taxpayer-funded salary until, and if, his termination is upheld.

The Police Services Act currently says an officer charged with a criminal offence can only be suspended with pay. In order for someone to be suspended without pay, the person must be convicted and be sentenced to a term of incarceration.

Redmond was not given jail time for his 2018 crimes; he was placed on probation for one year by the court, and he has yet to be sentenced for the sexual assault charge.

This enabled him to collect his salary during the OPP’s efforts to remove him from the force, a process governed by the Police Services Act.

The solicitor general says, however, changes to policing laws governing paid leave are coming “as soon as possible.”

Michael Kerzner said in April discussions surrounding the Community Safety and Policing Act, a piece of legislation set to replace the Police Services Act, will wrap up soon after first being passed in 2019.

The legislation was passed in 2019, but has yet to be put into force. It will, among other changes, allow a chief of police to suspend an officer without pay if the officer is charged with a serious offence.

He says the new law will be in effect by “late 2023 or early 2024.”

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Eastern Ontario OPP officer guilty of more assault charges

Postby Thomas » Wed Jun 14, 2023 3:31 pm

Jason Redmond also awaits sentencing on separate sexual assault conviction

An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer already convicted of sexual assault, and awaiting sentencing, has been found guilty of nine additional violent offences connected to a separate court matter.

In the latest conviction, Jason Redmond was accused of 11 offences related to incidents that took place between 2019 and 2021. He pleaded not guilty.

Reading from her judgment in a Brockville courtroom Friday afternoon, Justice Donna Hackett ran through the evidence she heard in connection with the case, providing details for 13 instances where Redmond was alleged to have attacked a woman.

The incidents described by the Crown and witnesses involved choking, punching, pushing and causing the woman to be cut by a knife.

The victim's identity is protected by a publication ban. She is not the same person connected to Redmond's conviction for sexual assault.

Hackett found him guilty of five counts of assault, three counts of assault causing bodily harm and one count of assault with a weapon.

Acquitted on 2 charges

Redmond, a Leeds County OPP officer, was also charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life and an assault that allegedly involved an infant. Hackett said she wasn't satisfied the Crown had met the burden of proof for those two charges, so he was acquitted on both.

The defence had raised questions about the credibility of the complainant as both she and Redmond were using drugs around the time of the attacks, but the judge determined the complainant was a reliable witness.

Hackett referenced photos the woman had shared with the court, which showed her with blackened eyes, bruises, red marks and what appeared to be dried blood on her face and body. Her injuries were "numerous," according to the judge.

There was a delay in the victim reporting the incidents to investigators, but Hackett noted Redmond is a police officer and that would "reasonably cause additional concern in this particular case about reporting him to his colleagues or associates."

"To report a peace officer to the police would be intimidating for anyone," Hackett said.

On paid leave from OPP since 2015

Redmond was previously convicted of drug trafficking in 2018, but received one year of probation and no jail time. He has been on paid leave from the OPP since he was charged in that case in 2015.

In an emailed statement, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique told CBC the force has been seeking Redmond's dismissal since his initial conviction for drug trafficking.

The officer has also been found guilty in an unrelated case for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman while recording it on his mobile phone in 2017.

Court previously heard from witnesses in that case that Redmond committed sexual assault, and filmed it, to show the victim "how easily she could be raped when she was drunk," and "to teach [her] a lesson."

Sentencing for the sexual assault is scheduled to take place June 16.

Hackett did not provide a date for sentencing on the assault charges, but the matter is set to be spoken to on the same date.

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Leeds County OPP officer found guilty of nine counts of assa

Postby Thomas » Wed Jun 14, 2023 3:33 pm

BROCKVILLE — An Ontario Provincial Police officer in Leeds County was found guilty of nine new counts of assault Friday, adding to a growing list of convictions as his most recent trial came to a close.

Jason Redmond, a Leeds County OPP officer recently convicted of sexual assault for raping an unconscious woman in 2017, was found guilty of nine new counts of assault in a Brockville courtroom Friday afternoon.

Ontario Court Justice Donna Hackett found him guilty on five counts of assault, three counts of assault causing bodily harm, and one count of assault with a weapon.

He was found not guilty of one assault charge against a baby and another for failing to provide the necessaries of life.

The charges stemmed from a criminal investigation that began in 2021 involving multiple allegations of abuse.

Redmond was originally charged with 17 offences when the investigation began, but six of the charges were dropped before making it to trial.

He pleaded not guilty.

The case went to trial in March, when seven witnesses were called to the stand, many of whom claimed they saw the woman’s injuries after the abuse happened.

The victim, whose identity was protected by a publication ban, is not the same woman involved in the case related to Redmond’s sexual assault conviction earlier this year.

In this most recent case, the judge found Redmond assaulted the woman on multiple occasions, including incidents of choking, punching, hitting, pushing, and one where he cut her with a knife during an argument.

The two often consumed cocaine and crack together, a factor that led to a tumultuous and toxic relationship, the judge found.

This abuse often left bruises and cuts on the woman’s body, the judge said, making reference to multiple graphic photographs presented as evidence throughout the trial.

The defence denied the allegations of abuse, with lawyer Karin Stein claiming in her closing arguments that the victim had serious reliability and credibility issues due, in part, to her drug addiction.

Because of this, Stein said, the judge couldn’t rely on the woman’s evidence and could not convict her client based on her word alone.

But the judge ultimately found the woman, along with all Crown witnesses, were reliable and credible witnesses.

“After having carefully considered all the evidence, I find there is a significant amount of confirmatory and corroborating evidence before this court from the other seven Crown witnesses. After carefully considering everything, it is my view that the complainant is a credible and reliable witness,” the judge said Friday.

She said the one witness called by the defence was not credible, claiming it was clear he was holding back information while testifying.

This is not Redmond’s first criminal conviction.

In February, a judge in Brockville found him guilty of sexual assault after raping an unconscious woman in 2017 and making a video of it on his phone to “prove” she had a drinking problem and to “teach her a lesson” about how irresponsible she was when consuming alcohol.

He was also convicted in October 2018 for trafficking a controlled substance and using a forged document.

Despite these multiple convictions, he remains on the OPP payroll because the Police Services Act says an officer charged with a criminal offence can only be suspended with pay.

In order for an officer to be suspended without pay, that person must be convicted and sentenced to a term of incarceration. Redmond was not given jail time for his 2018 crimes and has yet to be sentenced for the sexual assault conviction.

Moments after being found guilty on Friday, Redmond quickly left the courtroom, telling his lawyer he was going to the bathroom. He immediately left the building and could be seen in the distance, walking away in the pouring rain.

The matter will be back in court June 16 to set a date for sentencing.

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