Newfoundland cop convicted of sexual assault heading to jail after appeal dismissed

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer Douglas Snelgrove awaits his sentencing at the Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court in St.John's on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly)

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer is heading back to jail for sexual assault after a ruling Wednesday from the province's Court of Appeal brought an eight-year legal process closer to a much-anticipated end.

Const. Carl Douglas Snelgrove was convicted in May 2021 and sentenced to four years in prison for raping a woman in her living room while on duty in 2014 after driving her home from downtown St. John's in his police car.

His lawyers appealed the decision, arguing that a provincial Supreme Court judge made several errors during his trial.

In a decision released Wednesday, a panel of three Appeal Court judges unanimously dismissed the arguments.

"There were no errors made by the judge," they wrote.

Snelgrove was granted bail in December 2021, pending their ruling. He was in police custody on Wednesday and had 60 days to seek leave to appeal before the Supreme Court of Canada, said Crown attorney Kathleen O'Reilly.

Snelgrove's case has gripped the province since his first trial began in 2017, sparking wide-ranging discussions about consent, policing and power. His acquittal that year prompted days of angry protests in St. John's.

The Crown's appeal was successful and he was put on trial a second time, which ended in a mistrial in 2020, leading to more demonstrations.

When he was convicted in May of 2021, billboards lit up across the city with messages supporting the complainant, who had become known as "Jane Doe." She testified in all three trials, recounting the excruciating details of her assault each time.

And each time, women in the city rallied around her, writing her cards or recording videos of solidarity.

Ashley MacDonald led the support efforts in St. John's. She said Wednesday's ruling was welcome.

"Hopefully Jane Doe is feeling some sort of relief or peace," MacDonald said in an interview.

St. John's lawyer Lynn Moore said the outcome was the "right result," though she noted it came from a deeply flawed process.

"It's really unfair that this process has taken so long and taken so much out of this young woman," she said in an interview. "I'm glad to see this result, but there is something very, very wrong with our system that would allow it to treat her in this way."

Moore has represented Jane Doe since police began investing Snelgrove, though Moore said she has mostly been providing her with information about the criminal process; Snelgrove was prosecuted by Crown attorneys, so Doe did not have a lawyer with her in the courtrooms.

Moore said she spoke with Jane Doe on Tuesday. "She wanted me to convey how grateful she is for the community support," Moore said, adding, "She still reads the cards."

The lawyer now represents eight women who say they, too, were victims of sexual assault or misconduct by Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officers. One woman filed a civil lawsuit last January, and the others filed a joint civil suit last September.

"I hope that Jane Doe's bravery encourages other women to be brave and take action," Moore said, adding that her experience in the criminal court system is largely what drove the other women to seek justice through civil proceedings.

Snelgrove remains a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer, though he is suspended without pay, said Const. James Cadigan in an interview.

Provincial policing regulations prevent the force from taking action related to this employment until all legal proceedings have ended, Moore said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2023.