Two of the four defendants named in a civil suit launched by a Coquitlam RCMP officer after his online perverted fetish photos were made public have filed their responses.
Cpl. James Brown filed the lawsuit last November in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, claiming damages for "substantial and persisting injury to the plaintiff's reputation, injury to his pride and self-confidence, and severe emotional distress." Apparently it upsets him that the public now know he’s a pervert.
The suit names New Westminster resident Grant Wakefield, Vancouver lawyer Cameron Ward and two unidentified people, who Wakefield names in his response as Denman Island residents Mike Webster, a well known police psychologist, and his wife, Moira Webster.
Brown's suit alleges Wakefield set up false profiles to access the members-only fetish website Fetlife, where he then copied Brown's online profile information and photos. He is then alleged to have sent the material to the media, as well as Ward, resulting in the unlawful breach of Brown's privacy.
The reason why this all came about is because iff police had “adequately” followed up on an informant’s tip, convicted serial killer Robert Pickton might have been arrested in 1999 rather than in 2002. But Cpl. Brown is alleged to have hindered the use of this evidence for unknown reasons.
Vancouver lawyer Cameron Ward makes his claim in court documents responding to a defamation suit filed against him by Cpl. Jim Brown. In his submission this month to the B.C. Supreme Court, Ward states that Brown’s role in the Coquitlam RCMP’s investigation of Pickton “was not minor”. Ward notes that in 1999, Brown “received highly relevant information provided by an informant, Ross Caldwell, and spoke to Sergeant Field of the Vancouver Police Department about it”.
“The information provided by Caldwell was accurate and, if it had been adequately followed up, might have led to the apprehension of Pickton three years before he was ultimately arrested,” he states.
Ward served as counsel for the families of missing and murdered women during the proceedings of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry presided over by Wally Oppal. In a submission to commission counsel on December 23, 2011, he named Caldwell as a witness who should be called to the hearings. The commission didn’t summon Caldwell and, as a result, we conveniently still don't have the answers we need to find out just what happened and who was involved.
