Key exhibit handled without gloves, Pickton jury told

This story includes disturbing details

Last Updated: Thursday, March 8, 2007 | 6:52 PM PT

CBC News

A key piece of evidence bearing the DNA of Robert William Pickton and one of Vancouver's missing women was handled by police without gloves, a police officer said during Pickton's murder trial Thursday.  

Vancouver police Const. Rod Deighton told the B.C. Supreme Court jury in New Westminster that he was given a revolver with a plastic sex toy attached to the barrel to perform a forensic examination on it in March 2004.

The weapon was found in Pickton's trailer in the initial search of the pig farmer's Port Coquitlam property in February 2002, the jury was told.

When examining the gun, Deighton noted fingerprints and believed the weapon came to him from the RCMP firearms unit, the officer testified. He said he then called the unit to determine if gloves had been worn when officers were handling the gun. 

"I contacted a Sgt. [Philip] Ziegler from the unit and the information I received was that it was extensively handled by this sergeant and his staff without gloves," Deighton testified.

Upon learning that information, the determination was made to try fingerprinting the gun, he said. 

Pickton faces six counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Mona Wilson, Sereena Abotsway, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Wolfe, Georgina Papin and Marnie Frey. A second trial for the 20 counts he is charged with is expected to follow later. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

After Deighton's testimony, Justice James Williams gave the jury what he called their "daily hearsay lesson," and told them the information Deighton provided about the handling of the gun was hearsay. He also informed them Ziegler would be testifying later in the trial.

The jury heard in the Crown's opening statements that the DNA of both Pickton and Wilson were found on the sex toy.

DNA found on evidence?

During cross-examination earlier Thursday, the defence alleged Deighton had contaminated another portion of the exhibit. 

"And that testing disclosed that you contaminated those exhibits, correct?" asked defence lawyer Patrick McGowan. 

"This is the first I have actually heard that, my Lord," Deighton replied. 

"You haven’t been told that your DNA was found on each of those three pieces of plastic I gave you the numbers for?" 

Deighton responded that he had not.

The defence also suggested Deighton's DNA was found on a hair clipper and other accessories. Deighton again said it was all news to him.

Security problems at after-hours club site 

Earlier in the day, the commander in charge of planning out the searches of Pickton's property testified that investigators had some problems with security at Burns Road, where the infamous Piggy's Palace after-hours club run by Pickton's brother Dave was located.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Randy Hundt told the court that officers at the site found evidence from some abandoned vehicles had been moved. 

He said about 2,300 exhibits, including condoms, clothing and drug paraphernalia, were seized from that property.

The defence went on to suggest that only about 150 items were ever sent to the lab, with another 150 items destroyed or returned to the owner. Hundt said he was not aware of those numbers.

The seventh week of the trial concluded Thursday, with jurors returning March 19.