B.C. court rules Mounties can apply to dispose of Pickton evidence

A B.C. Supreme Court justice says it has jurisdiction to bid the disposal of thousands of pieces of grounds seized from serial slayer Robert Pickton’s pig workplace decades ago, whether it was utilized successful his execution proceedings oregon not.

A ruling issued online Wednesday said the RCMP tin use to dispose of immoderate 15,000 pieces of grounds collected from the hunt of Pickton’s spot successful Port Coquitlam, including “items determined to beryllium to victims.”

Police asked the tribunal for directions past twelvemonth to beryllium allowed to dispose of the upland of grounds gathered successful the lawsuit against Pickton, who was convicted of the second-degree execution of six women, though helium was primitively charged with first-degree execution of 27 women.

Pickton died successful May aft being attacked successful a Quebec prison.

Some household members of victims disputed the disposal due to the fact that they person a pending civilian suit against Pickton’s property and his brother, David Pickton, Yand privation to guarantee that the grounds they request to beryllium their lawsuit is not dispersed oregon destroyed.

The tribunal dismissed their bid to intervene successful July this year, and the tribunal has present ruled it has the authorization to bid the disposal of the grounds whether it was utilized astatine Pickton’s proceedings oregon not.

The ruling says constabulary program to “bring a bid of applications” for tribunal orders allowing them to get escaped of the grounds due to the fact that they are “legally obligated to dispose of the property” since it’s nary longer needed successful immoderate probe oregon transgression proceeding.

Justice Frits Verhoeven says successful his ruling that determination whitethorn beryllium crushed to uncertainty if the tribunal has jurisdiction implicit items seized from the workplace that had not been made exhibits.

But helium said that volition beryllium a determination for later, noting “the question arsenic to whether the tribunal retains inherent jurisdiction to bid disposal of seized items whitethorn stay to beryllium considered, if necessary, successful immoderate different case.”

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Jason Gratl, the lawyer representing household members of victims successful the civilian cases against the Pickton brothers, said successful an interrogation Wednesday that the latest tribunal determination doesn’t mean exhibits volition beryllium destroyed.

“Any interest astir the demolition of the grounds is premature. Just due to the fact that the tribunal volition perceive the exertion to let the RCMP to destruct the grounds does not mean that the tribunal would assistance the application,” helium said.

Gratl said that if the RCMP brings an exertion to get escaped of grounds that could beryllium utile successful proving the civilian cases, helium would inquire the tribunal for the evidence.

“We would beryllium seeking to instrumentality possession of immoderate grounds that the RCMP nary longer wants successful bid to beryllium that civilian claim,” helium said.

Gratl said nary day has been acceptable for erstwhile the civilian cases volition beryllium heard.

The court’s earlier ruling says the RCMP has agreed to let immoderate of the civilian lawsuit plaintiffs “limited participation” successful the disposal exertion process, agreeing to notify them if constabulary place an “ownership oregon spot involvement successful the items” that they’re applying to destroy.