Kamloops RCMP employee dismissed from criminal jury after talking to co-workers about case

Photo: RCMP

Sevim Zakuti

A City of Kamloops employee who works at the city’s RCMP detachment was removed from a B.C. Supreme Court criminal jury after telling co-workers about the ongoing proceedings, raising the eyebrows of police.

The dismissal took place on May 4 but could not be reported until the jury in Sevim Zakuti’s sexual assault trial began its deliberations, which happened on Thursday afternoon.

Court heard the woman — who, as a juror, cannot be named — is off work on medical leave, but visited the Kamloops RCMP detachment on April 29 or April 30 and told co-workers she was a juror hearing the trial.

A high-ranking Kamloops RCMP officer, Staff Sgt. Simon Pillay, phoned the Kamloops Crown counsel office after the woman’s visit, expressing concern. Court heard Pillay thought it was inappropriate for the woman to be sitting on a criminal jury.

Prosecutors raised the matter with B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sheri Donegan the following week. Lawyers on both sides agreed the juror, as an RCMP civilian employee, should be dismissed — and she was.

There was nothing to indicate the woman had any previous knowledge about the case or access to the police file or any inside information. Zakuti’s alleged offences were investigated by the Merritt RCMP, not Kamloops Mounties.

Jurors are allowed to discuss ongoing trials on which they are sitting, but cannot disclose information about jury deliberations.

Zakuti’s trial also included a mistrial application, which came on April 28, after technical issues prevented a Crown witness — the complainant — from seeing Donegan and defence lawyer Jordan Watt. The woman was testifying via video from a separate room in the courthouse, and the problems were with cameras in the courtroom pointed at counsel tables and the judge’s bench.

Watt argued the glitch should result in a mistrial because the “solemnity” of the proceedings had been spoiled, creating an unfair situation for Zakuti. Donegan was not convinced.

The jury remains out.