BY KEITH LACEY
A local woman testified she was in so much pain “she couldn’t even
walk” during a plan where two men forced her to smuggle illicit
narcotics inside her body into the Sudbury District Jail in early
2005.
Brad Burleigh, 36, and Raymond Paquette, 25, are on trial before an
eight-man, four-woman jury after being charged with sexual assault
causing bodily harm and numerous drug trafficking counts.
The jury was given Friday off as lawyers were involved in legal
arguments. Defence lawyers Terry Waltenbury, who is defending
Burleigh, and John Saftic, who is defending Paquette, will begin
their defence Tuesday.
Justice Patricia Hennessy ordered a publication ban on any
evidence that could identify the 26-year-old complainant, who
testified behind a screen so she didn’t have any eye contact with
both accused.
The woman testified she became a cocaine and crack cocaine addict about 18 months ago.
She admitted she had been in and out of jail numerous times
because of her addiction.
She was in the female range inside the jail the first week of
January, 2005, when she came into contact with another female
inmate, who she believed to be the girlfriend of Burleigh, she
testified.
“We talked about getting drugs inside the jail,” she
testified.
She knew the plan would involve placing drugs inside body
cavities, but not much more, she testified.
After getting out on bail, the woman testified she set up a
meeting with Burleigh about 10 days after getting released.
The plan involved placing the drugs inside her body, then going
to the police station to have her bail revoked so she would be
placed back into custody, she testified.
On Jan. 6, 2005, she, Burleigh and Paquette rented a room at a
local hotel and started smoking crack cocaine, which was followed
by more talk about the plan to smuggle drugs inside the jail, she
said.
Paquette started inserting the packages of drugs inside her, but
it hurt intensely and she wanted to stop, but Paquette refused, she
said.
Even though she continued to complain about intense pain,
Paquette inserted several packages, she said.
After several packages were inserted, she was in so much pain
she couldn’t walk, she said.
Burleigh was with her when she entered the police station
attempting to revoke her bail, she said.
While Burleigh was in the lobby, she quietly told a police
officer about the drugs inside of her body, she said.
“I asked the officer to help me...I couldn’t walk,” she
said.
She started crying when telling the officer about what had
happened and went to the washroom, where the drugs were removed,
she said.
“I was bleeding a lot and I couldn’t walk very well.”
She testified she was “depressed and suicidal” for days
following this incident.
Under cross-examination, the woman admitted she knew the plan
would involve inserting drug packages inside her body, but insisted
she asked repeatedly for Paquette to stop because it hurt so much
and he refused.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations next Wednesday or Thursday.
