BY KEITH LACEY
A veteran Sudbury police constable will have to wait most of the summer to find out if heÂ?s been found guilty of assaulting his date.
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After hearing a full day of evidence and submissions Tuesday, Justice John Keast of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice reserved making a ruling. He will render his decision on one count of assault against Const. Glenn Greenough Sept. 2.
Greenough took Â?stress leaveÂ? for two weeks after being arrested last June, but returned to full active duty one month after the incident, which took place around 1 am May 10, 2003.
The woman, who is also employed by the police service, testified she and Greenough were at a bar when he suddenly became angry and demanded they leave.
Greenough, a 10-year veteran, had glossy eyes. She said she believed he was intoxicated when they left the bar and immediately started driving erratically.
The woman testified Greenough was Â?very angry...he told me someone was at the bar he didnÂ?t like and he wanted me to leave.Â?
She asked him to stop repeatedly during the brief trip and at one point threatened to jump out of the vehicle out of fear for her safety, she said.
Â?I was afraid...he was very upset...I was trying to run away from him,Â? she said.
Greenough finally stopped the vehicle at the corner of Regent and Hyland Streets. She got out of the car. This upset Greenough because he wanted her to get back inside, she said.
When she tried to walk away, Greenough twice grabbed her and spun her around and then picked her up and placed her over his shoulder and brought her back to the car, she testified.
A male stranger arrived and Greenough became Â?confrontational.Â? He told the stranger to stay out of their business and yelled at him, she said.
At one point Greenough said, Â?go ahead buddy and calls the cops, I am the police and what are you going to do about that,Â? the woman testified.
The stranger drove the woman back to the bar and Greenough followed them, she said.
About an hour later, two officers arrived at her apartment to ensure she was safe. She wasnÂ?t pleased Greenough had asked officers to check up on her, she said.
In her statement to police, she admitted she never thought this incident would result in charges being laid and she only wanted Greenough to get counselling to address anger issues.
Â?I didnÂ?t understand why he was so angry at me,Â? she said.
Greenough said he wanted to leave the bar because he was a police officer and he saw people he believed were associated with an outlaw motorcycle
gang.
At one point while dancing with his date, one of the men he didnÂ?t like jumped between them and Â?stared him down. This made him upset and want to leave immediately, he testified.
Â?I told her I was leaving...she didnÂ?t have to come with me if she didnÂ?t want to,Â? he said.
During the brief ride, the complainant became emotional and started crying. She threatened to jump out of the car, and he didnÂ?t understand why, he
said.
Â?IÂ?d never seen her like that before. She was yelling, screaming and swearing,Â? he said.
When he stopped and she left the car, he was Â?very concerned for her safetyÂ? so he approached her and placed her over his shoulders, he said.
He denied grabbing her twice before doing this.
Â?I wanted to take her to the car to bring her home safely,Â? he said.
When the stranger arrived and threatened to phone police, Greenough said he told him to go ahead.
He agreed to allow the man to drive the woman home and he did follow to ensure she would be all right, he said.
When asked by Crown attorney Thom Fitzgerald if he was acting as a police officer when he decided to grab his date and place her over his shoulder without her consent, Greenough responded Â?at that point in time, I was.Â?
When asked why he didnÂ?t press any charges or file any police report, Greenough said she was his friend and he didnÂ?t want to embarrass her. He only wanted to get her home safely.
Â?My only intention was to act in her best interests,Â? he said.
The Â?Good SamaritanÂ? testified he saw a man and woman arguing when the man grabbed at her twice before picking her up and placing her over his shoulder.
At one point, Greenough told him to Â?bugger offÂ?, but he quickly calmed down and did agree to let him drive her away from the scene, he said.
