Trial wrapping up for RCMP officer accused of chaining child in basement

OTTAWA — The trial of a suspended Mountie accused of chaining his 11-year-old son naked in the basement of the family home and starving him has taken a sudden turn towards wrapping up.

Closing arguments in the case were scheduled to begin Monday in an Ottawa courtroom.

Instead, after a behind-the-scenes meeting with Crown prosecutors and lawyers for the Mountie and the boy’s stepmother, Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger agreed to accept written submissions from all parties.

Crown lawyer Mike Boyce said it’s not an unusual move, but one that could result in the judge reaching a verdict sooner, possibly by early fall.

The one-time officer with an RCMP anti-terrorism unit, now 44, as well as the boy’s stepmother, were charged in February 2013 in what Ottawa police described as one of the worst cases of abuse they had seen.

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The couple, who cannot be named publicly under a court order to protect the boy’s identity, face charges of aggravated assault, forcible confinement and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

The woman is also charged with assaulting the boy with a weapon, while the man, who has been on leave from the police force since 2011, faces other charges of sexual assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.

Both denied the allegations. 

The case goes back to court on Thursday, when the judge could decide on a date for releasing his verdict.

The Canadian Press