Police sergeant pressured to lie at Oland trial, court hears

CTV Atlantic: Retired sergeant was told to lie A retired police sergeant has told the court that a superior officer pressured him to lie on the witness stand. CTV's Mike Cameron reports.

A retired police staff sergeant told the court of the Dennis Oland murder trial on Tuesday that he was pressured by a superior officer to lie on the witness stand.

Sgt. Mike King said inspector Glen McCloskey asked him to testify that McCloskey did not attend the crime scene on the day that Richard Oland’s body was found.

“I told (McCloskey) I had never lied on the stand in 32 years, and I wasn't about to start now, whether it be for a homicide or a traffic ticket," said King.

Sgt. King, who had more than three decades in policing experience when he retired in April, was among many officers who responded to Richard Oland’s office on the morning of July 7, 2011.

On the witness stand, King was asked about his involvement in the case and other officers who were at the crime scene that morning. King responded that McCloskey was one of the officers.

King says in their conversation, McCloskey never used the word ‘lie’, but there was doubt in his mind what his superior officer meant.

King says he told other officers about his conversation with McCloskey, including the lead investigator Const. Stephen Davidson.

King says he told Crown prosecutors of the conversation with McCloskey last month.

The defence team jumped on the allegations in their cross examination. Lawyer Alan Gold questioned King about a box of exhibits from the Oland case that were on McCloskey’s desk.

According to King, McCloskey wanted them sent to RCMP J Division.

King said it was a situation he’d never seen before in his career. He retired partly because of health concerns, but left the department on good terms.

McCloskey was appointed deputy chief back in January. According to Gold, he will be the next witness in the trial.

Dennis Oland has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge in the 2011 death of his businessman father, Richard Oland.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.