Warning: This story contains references to sexual harassment and suicidal ideation.
Defense attorneys for Hamilton Police Const. Geoffrey Turnbull continued his cross-examination of the woman who accused him of sexual harassment in March 2022, questioning the timeline and a selection of text messages between the two colleagues sent in the early months of that year.
Turnbull has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the 28-year-old police constable, whose identity is protected by a publication ban.
She said he sent her inappropriate messages and touched her without consent over a four-month period before sexually assaulting her in the basement of her home.
The trial began Tuesday at the Ontario Court of Justice in Hamilton. Judge Jennifer Marie Campitelli is hearing the case.
Earlier this week, the woman detailed what she said happened that year. On Thursday, defense lawyer Joanne Mulcahy asked the complainant about a series of text message screenshots she provided to police investigators after Turnbull reported her in April 2022.
As Crown attorney Jason Nicol cross-examined the woman on Tuesday, the court heard the woman selected the screenshot. Neither Hamilton police nor investigators from the provincial Special Investigations Unit went through his phone.
Mulcahy asked the woman about the order of the screenshots she provided, saying the time on a page made no sense.
After some discussion, the woman admitted that the page was not organized.
Later, when discussing the messages Turnbull and the woman exchanged about their dog, Mulcahy asked why more messages were not included in the screenshots. The woman said she didn't think he was relevant.
According to the defence, Turnbull apologized via text and gave a gift
Defense counsel also asked about texts seen by the court, as well as personal conversations the woman recounted in which she told Turnbull she had heard rumors about his behavior with the woman.
The woman said she had made it clear to Turnbull that she did not want to talk about him to anyone else and wanted away from him. She told the court that he would text her daily and make inappropriate comments such as calling her “just sexy”.
Mulcahy said distance did not come up in the conversation and the two only discussed rumors.
After that conversation, Mulcahy said, the messages showed Turnbull apologizing, agreeing to tone things down and trying to cheer the woman up by giving her gifts including soap and a pillow to help with her back injury.
“He didn't tone it down,” the woman said.
Woman texting Turnbull, defense says
Mulcahy read another text asking Turnbull to let her know if he wanted her to stop texting him.
“You wouldn't send him a text telling him to stop talking to you, would you?” Mulka asked.
“I don't,” said the woman.
In another instance, Turnbull asked in a text if she wanted to stop texting him.
“You don't say yes or send a text to that effect,” Mulcahy said.
“No, because I don't need to,” the woman replied.
On Tuesday, the woman said Turnbull gave her “many” gifts, including soap, which she said he left in her mailbox.
On Thursday, Mulcahy read from a text screenshot, indicating that the soap was, in fact, in Turnbull's mail slot. The woman said it was her fault.
Mulcahy asked if Turnbull was better off giving soap to women. She said it made her “uncomfortable”.
Mulcahy said she never texted Turnbull or told investigators. Mulcahy read screenshots showing the woman replying: 'All right,' then said: “You're not telling me to stop texting you.”
Earlier in the week, the woman, who was hired in 2021, told the court she was worried about her career during their interaction because Turnbull had “a ton of seniority” over her.
Raksha suggests friendly relations
The lawyer suggested that the two police officers send each other memes (funny photos or videos that are often circulated on social media platforms), music and talk about their lives.
Mulcahy said Turnbull sent the woman a link to a physiotherapy and rehabilitation business in Ancaster that helped her back. That was not the case, the woman said. Mulcahy then showed the court what she described as her Snapchat message history.
By default, most messages sent on Snapchat automatically disappear.
Mulcahy also read a February 15 text message in which the woman talked about re-adding Turnbull to Snapchat. He said he deleted her contact so she wouldn't bug him, to which she replied: “Our rude.”
“He's wiped you out. You look for him,” Mulcahy said.
“If you want to see it that way,” the woman replied.
She told the court she had to answer to Turnbull “because if I didn't, my life at work was going to get worse.”
On Tuesday, she said Turnbull threatened to kill himself if he stopped answering.
Defense Work Schedule Review
Mulcahy went through the woman's February work schedule in an attempt to confirm what happened in the office. The schedule showed that he was assigned to field work or most of the month.
The woman told the court that in early February, she was working on modified office duties at a police station when Turnbull touched her thigh without consent. Later that month, she said, he kissed her in the office.
The woman said, she was assigned to field work for a few days, then again assigned to office work.
Mulcahy also suggested there had been multiple interactions between Turnbull and the woman, which the woman denied. This included sexting, telling him she wanted to know what it was like to kiss him, showing him pictures of herself in a bikini, sending him selfies on Snapchat and sending him a shower photo. Mulcahy has yet to provide evidence to support those claims.
The hearing continues on Friday.
Available through crisis lines and local support services for anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse Association to End Violence in Canada Database.
