Pubdate: Thu, 31 May 2012
Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)
Copyright: 2012 The Leader-Post Ltd.
Website: http://www.leaderpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361
Author: Barb Pacholik

EX-JAIL GUARD GUILTY IN DRUG SMUGGLING CASE

Taylor to remain free until sentencing

After his arrest on charges of smuggling drugs to inmates, then-jail
guard Brent Miles Taylor told the RCMP one of his biggest fears was
his Regina Correctional Centre colleagues seeing him in the facility.

With a jury finding him guilty Wednesday on 14 charges, it's likely
the 50-year-old ex-guard will be on the inside looking out when he
does return to corrections. For now, Taylor remains free pending his
July 18 sentencing. "We're certainly looking at a significant period
of incarceration," Crown prosecutor Doug Curliss said.

He wouldn't tip his hand about how "significant," but said the Crown
will seek more than the threeyear prison term given to Taylor's former
fellow jail guard Larry Barager, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to half as
many offences.

During the trial, a Crown witness told court that Taylor, in trying to
dissuade her from testifying, had said the Crown wanted seven to nine
years in prison.

"The most serious offender in this case was the jail guard. Without
him, the scheme wouldn't have worked," said Curliss in an interview
after court.

Taylor and his family left the courthouse without commenting to
reporters, but his lawyer James Korpan said, "He's in shock. His
entire family's in shock.

"From the defence perspective, it's devastating news," Korpan
said.

"We thought we put forward a good defence; obviously the jury saw it
differently."

The seven woman and five men emerged from the jury room shortly after
10 a.m. to announce the outcome on each of the 14 charges.

Taylor, who remained standing in the prisoner's dock throughout,
appeared stone-faced as the foreman in turn gave each guilty verdict.

But in the public gallery, where his family and friends had sat
through all 13 days of the trial, the emotional blow was palpable.

Taylor's wife was quietly weeping, as were several other
supporters.

As the proceedings drew to a close, she rushed to the prisoner's dock
and stepped inside to embrace Taylor.

Next in line to comfort the accused was Taylor's brother. Moments
earlier, as Curliss was urging the judge to order Taylor into custody
pending sentencing, Taylor's brother had interrupted, muttering,
"What's the matter with you?"

In the end, Justice Eugene Scheibel acceded to Korpan's request that
Taylor be given time to "get his affairs in order." Scheibel said
Taylor can remain free on conditions that include checking in weekly
with Regina police and having no contact with any trial witnesses,
jurors or with inmates Sanford Brass and Kevin Lee Stonechild, who
were the recipients of drug-filled tobacco pouches from Taylor.

The jury had been asked to render a verdict on 14 of 15 charges:
Breach of trust by a public official, conspiracy to traffic in drugs,
possession of proceeds of crime, five counts each of drug trafficking
and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking - all occurring
between January 2007 and February 2010 - and attempting to obstruct
justice in speaking to a Crown witness last year. Taylor pleaded
guilty last week to an additional charge of breaching a non-contact
order arising from the same Jan. 5, 2011 encounter with the witness.

The jurors deliberated about 3 1/2 hours Tuesday before leaving the
courthouse for supper and to be sequestered for the night at a hotel.
About 45 minutes after heading back into the jury room Wednesday
morning, the 12 indicated to the bailiff a unanimous verdict had been
reached.

Korpan said he was not only surprised by the outcome but by the
relatively brief deliberations for a trial that stretched into a
fourth week. Curliss said it suggested the jurors had ample
opportunity to assess the evidence as the case was underway. "The case
only turned on a couple of critical points," he added.

The Crown's case was built on the testimony of two women and 130
wiretaps of their phone conversations with inmates Brass and
Stonechild. The woman said they packed red Number 7 tobacco pouches
with drugs and gave them usually two at a time to Taylor, known as
"the Eagle," for delivery to the two inmates. They said Taylor made
about 30 pickups and was paid between $100 to $500 cash.

The women admitted they never discussed with Taylor the contents of
the pouches.

Taylor never testified at the trial, but relied on a videotaped
statement to police in which he vehemently denied any knowledge of
drugs. "I did not bring any drugs into that institution," he said
repeatedly during the 4 1/2-hour interrogation, expressing surprise
the RCMP would take the word of inmates over that of a guard. He did
admit picking up tobacco pouches from people he didn't know at a house
he was directed to by Brass and delivering them a few times to two
inmates. Tobacco was also considered contraband at the smoke-free
jail, but Taylor suggested it was occasionally given out to appease
inmates in a crisis. "I didn't think it was any big deal," he told
police.

After Scheibel's four-hour charge to the jury, Korpan had raised
several issues, suggesting the judge hadn't adequately outlined the
defence's theory. Scheibel declined to alter his instructions. Asked
if an appeal is being considered, Korpan said, "Anytime you have an
adverse verdict, that's something we're going to be advising our
client on. But in terms of which way we're going to go with that
remains to be seen."
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MAP posted-by: Matt