The trial for suspended Police Chief JP Levesque is underway.
He plead not guilty to breach of trust and obstruction of justice.
Superior Court Justice Bonnie Warkentin tells court that JP Levesque case is of significance to the community and is innocent until proven guilty. She adds he deserves a fair trial. #tbay
— @country105news (@Country105News) December 4, 2017
This morning the first witness was called: 36-year-old Craig Loverin, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, and at the time the manager of the Central Car Wash.
Loverin was a friend of Alexander (Sandy) Zaitzeff’s deceased son and to Sandy.
On October 25th, Sandy asked Loverin if he would like to speak with the Mayor and was involved in a conversation on the phone with him.
First witness called is Craig Loverin a friend of Sandy Zaitzeff and his deceased son. He was called by Keith Hobbs and asked to meet him in the parking lot of Metro and Tim Hortons. It was the first time he had ever spoken or met the Mayor.
— @country105news (@Country105News) December 4, 2017
He told the court about a November meeting he had with the Mayor in a parking lot, where he was allegedly given a memory stick with videos on it and was told by Keith Hobbs to give it to Zaitzeff.
The videos allegedly involved Zaitzeff saying profane things to his ex-girlfriend Mary Voss.
Loverin says that Hobbs told him he got the memory stick from a member of the Thunder Bay Police Service because he owed him a favour.
Loverin told the court that meeting the Mayor of Thunder Bay in a parking lot isn’t something that feels right.
Loverin says he met with RCMP officers at the car wash on December 8th because he felt that he had a lot on his shoulders and wasn’t sure what he should do.
He officially gave a statement to RCMP in their office on December 9th.
He then spoke to Hobbs again on January 26th when he says the Mayor followed him to his vehicle after the grand opening of the Veterans Affairs office.
Loverin claims the Mayor told him that “your lies are going to wash up to shore, Mister.”
Loverin adds Hobbs then told him he was willing to take a poligraph and asked Loverin to do the same.
He says he answered “yes sir.” Hobbs allegedly responded “Don’t (expletive) call me Sir.”
Loverin also explained that when he helped Zeitzeff out he did so as a friend and not as a body guard.