On Saturday, December 3, 2005, the RCMP arrested Mr. McCrimmon at his home in relation to eight
Question:
On Saturday, December 3, 2005, the RCMP arrested Mr. McCrimmon at his home in
relation to eight assaults committed against five different women over the course of the previous few
months. He was alleged to have picked up the women in downtown Chilliwack, B.C., driven them
to an isolated area, and assaulted them. Two of the complainants alleged that he had drugged them
with what turned out to be chloroform. The offences with which he was charged included assault,
sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm, unlawful confinement, and the administration of a
noxious substance with intent to cause bodily harm.
At 5:15 p.m., Sgt. Allan Proulx, an officer with specialized training in interrogation
techniques, took Mr. McCrimmon into an interview room outfitted with an audio and video recorder
and spoke with him for approximately three hours and twenty minutes. At the outset of the
interview, Mr. McCrimmon confirmed having spoken with a Legal Aid lawyer, revealing the advice
received that he did not have to say anything to the police. Sgt. Proulx affirmed Mr. McCrimmon's
right to silence, cautioned him that anything he said could be used against him, and commenced with
the investigative interview.
Sgt. Proulx continued his attempts to persuade Mr. McCrimmon to discuss the incidents
under investigation, interspersing his remarks with references to what the police knew about the
incident and referring to witness statements. When pressed for his version of events, Mr.
McCrimmon emphasized the absence of his lawyer, his sense of feeling "vulnerable without any
representation", and his ignorance of "the legal ways" (A.R., vol. III, at p. 51). Mr. McCrimmon
insisted that he would not speak without his lawyer, stating "my voice will be heard in the end, with
my lawyer", and that he was "adamant about that" (A.R., vol. III, at pp. 53 and 55). Sgt. Proulx
affirmed that Mr. McCrimmon had a right to exercise his right to silence and that he did not have
"to keep repeating it . . . to get that" (p. 55).
Sgt. Proulx then carried on with long monologues obviously designed to establish a
rapport with Mr. McCrimmon and elicit information from him. Later, steering the topic of
conversation back to the alleged offences, Sgt. Proulx related more details known to the police,
prompting Mr. McCrimmon to begin describing his version of the events. As Sgt. Proulx showed
photographs of the assaulted women (A.R., vol. III, at p. 87), Mr. McCrimmon said he was going
to be sick, and he was escorted to the washroom where he threw up. At this point, two hours after
the start of the interview, Mr. McCrimmon began to admit to his involvement in the investigated
offences, following Sgt. Proulx's display of photographs taken from a store security camera. Mr. McCrimmon subsequently made a number of statements implicating himself in the offences.
The interview concluded at approximately 8:24 p.m. and Mr. McCrimmon was returned to his cell.
Prepare the case:
Read and examine the case thoroughly
- Take notes, highlight relevant facts, underling key problems.
Focus on the analysis
- Identify two to five key problems.
- Why do they exist?
- How do they impact the case?
- Who is responsible for them?
Uncover possible solutions/changes needed
- Support the analysis with information from other relevant/similar cases
Select the best solution
- Recommend further action to resolve some of the issues.
South Western Federal Taxation 2015
ISBN: 9781305310810
38th Edition
Authors: William H. Hoffman, William A. Raabe, David M. Maloney, James C. Young