See you in September
By Keith Lacey
Even though he didn#t believe the
accused#s version of events, Justice John
Poupore acquitted a man charged with
severely beating another man outside a
Sudbury bar 18 months ago.
Sean Pickford, 24, pleaded not guilty to
assault causing bodily harm for an incident
outside the former Ralph#s Sports Bar at
closing time Sept. 13, 2000.
Four days later, Pickford was charged with
stabbing another man outside a downtown
bar. He remains in custody on that charge.
No date has been set for his trial on
aggravated assault charges.
Pickford also faces a trial Sept. 5
on charges of obstructing justice by
intimidating witnesses set to testify against
him in relation to the stabbing incident.
The victim in the Sept. 13, 2000 incident
suffered a broken nose, serious and
permanent damage to his jaw and teeth
and numerous cuts. after Witnesses said
he was #sucker punched# at least once
and kicked in the head two or three times.
Even though Pickford was not a good
witness, Poupore said considering all the
circumstances, he was not convinced
beyond a reasonable doubt that it was
Pickford who caused the assault.
#Sean Pickford was not an impressive or
convincing witness,# said Poupore. #From
his evidence, it would be difficult to believe
his version of events or to be left with a
reasonable doubt of his guilt.
#However, having cautioned myself
regarding the frailties of identification
evidence and considering the entirety
of the evidence, including the defence
witnesses, I am not convinced# Pickford is
guilty.
Pickford testified he didn#t throw a punch
or kick anyone and was assaulted himself
while trying to break up a fight between his
friend Norm Pelletier and another young
man.
He was grabbed by a bouncer, sucker
punched and then tackled before falling
down some stairs, said Pickford.
His friend Wayne Hollis testified it was he
who kicked Taylor once in the head during
a fight Taylor initiated.
Hollis also testified it was he, not Pickford,
who was wearing a red ball cap backwards
and sporting a goatee the night in question.
Pickford denied throwing any punches or
kicking anyone.
Crown attorney Kenrick Abbott asked
Pickford why he ran away from police when
they tried to arrest him three weeks after
this incident.
Pickford said he #panicked# because
he thought he#d be denied bail, even
though the only charge he was facing was
breaching a bail condition to stay away
from his brother and remain at home.
#I knew I wouldn#t get bail and I didn#t
want to go back to jail,# said Pickford.
Pickford was wanted on a Canada-wide
warrant after being charged with attempted
murder in relation to the stabbing incident.
Pickford went missing for several months,
but turned himself into police in Alberta
Feb. 18. He has been in custody at the
Sudbury District Jail since.
The charge in that incident has been
reduced to aggravated assault.
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