The wife of Manitoba Sen. Rod Zimmer can contact him by phone or online, despite allegations that she threatened to slit the 69-year-old’s throat on a flight to Saskatoon, a judge has ruled.
Maygan Sensenberger, 23, was arrested last week after allegedly causing a disturbance on Air Canada Flight 8597, which originated in Halifax, stopped in Ottawa and then went on to Saskatoon.Police alleged she made threats against Zimmer and also threatened to bring the plane down.
Although the charge of endangering the safety of an aircraft was dropped, Sensenberger still stands accused of causing a disturbance on a plane and uttering threats.
Her release conditions included not having any contact with Zimmer. In court Wednesday, prosecutor Matt Miazga argued against relaxing the rule.
Miazga said one witness heard Sensenberger say she would slit Zimmer’s throat as the couple fought on the plane.
“One never knows how serious these threats are,” he said, adding that other passengers were frightened by Sensenberger’s behaviour.
Miazga also said the couple’s high profile should not influence any court decisions.
But defence lawyer Leslie Sullivan said Zimmer, who has been attending his wife's court hearings, didn't ask police to lay charges against Sensenberger.
"He does not feel he was threatened," Sullivan said. "They are very close ... and this is a very difficult time for them. It's been very difficult for both of them not to be together."
After listening to both arguments, Judge Albert Lavoie agreed to allow the couple to talk online or over the phone. Physical contact is still forbidden.
The case has been adjourned until Sept. 18. Sullivan said Sensenberger will not plead guilty.
The case has drawn international attention, fuelled by the 46-year age difference between Zimmer and Sensenberger.
Sensenberger’s 68-year-old grandmother, Rita, has told The Canadian Press that her granddaughter “gets upset easy if anything is wrong with her husband.”
There were reports from other witnesses that the couple started arguing on the plane after Zimmer began feeling a tightness in his chest and Sensenberger admonished him for not taking his health seriously.
Zimmer revealed to the Senate in 2010 that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer years earlier and given a slim chance of survival.
Rita Sensenberger said her granddaughter, a former ballet dancer and aspiring actress from Collingwood, Ont., met Zimmer on a “blind date.” She also said the couple kept their relationship a secret until Sensenberger turned 21.
With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV Saskatoon
