Bob Mackin Conrributing Writer WHEN Eric Valois vaulted from the prison- er’s dock to freedom on Jan. 30, 1986, then- Crown counsel Deirdre Pothecary ducked under a bench. She told Vancouver Provineial Court Judge Cf Trueman ‘Tuesday that she feared for her safery because she thought someone was in the West Vancouver courtroom to help Valois escape. “We basically were seme whar stunned.” she said. Police and other lawvers ran out of the courtroom to pursuc Valois, she recalled. But fe van- ished north on 3th Street. Those who remained “sat there quite shocked,” Pothecary said “It was mv first expericnee of an accused evwaping from a courtroom.” Almost 13 sears Iaier, the globetroming fugitive is back on the West Coast, charged with escaping custody. Since that winter day, he spent a decade eluding author- ities or breaking out of jails in Guess North Aineriea and orope Montreal hams with apenwhent tor steal Zo Vachts and: explosives vas presumed dead bv authorities ater he punped through a stap’s port hole during a onsen transter berween Greck islands in FYSs. He resurfaced in England in 1990 where he was charged with and acquitted of drug traf ticking. He was extradited to Quebeeo more than a year ago wey puc SO veda old to serve the remaining thind of a osix-vear sentence fora 1982 armed robbery. An article on him published by the Montreal Gacerte last year stascd that wheal Valois was five vears old he withessed his rather kill his mother. Valois was abe reported te have been a person of interest tor ROMP investigators regarding the Air India bomi- ing. . He was also named as being implicated in the planting of a bomb near the offices of news: paper edror Tara Singh Haver, 2 man assassinated in Surrey last month Potheeary dranied) evplo- sites and weapons possession charges ayainst Valois ater he was found fan. 26, 1986 in his GO AL uncie’s West Vancouver house A sutesse that police behev cai was his contained dynamite, Dlasung caps. a gun and a small qquangty of cocaine and heroin. Charges have since been stayed because evidence was lost, The iawver said the charges ne fonger met the test of tikelihood: of conviction or being m the public interest. Salow appeared in court Jan. 27, 1986 bur was remand: ed to fan, 30, 1986 tor a hear- ing to determine his custody status, “More material arese from the time of his arrest that indi- cated he was a parole violator, Pothecary said. “1 was seeking his dezention.” AU detention order was imposed on Jan. 30, 1986 by Judge Reginald Grandison, she said. A discussion with Valois’ lawyer about his next appear: ance began, but the matter was aot scitled, Pothecary heard a seinbling noise then Jooked to her aght and saw Valois going out an exit deor at the back of the courtroom, An aAlarny was set otf, West Vancouver Police Syt. Stuart Leishman was ina see: ond tleor office at the police station when the incident: hap- targets prosecutor Katharine Hamer Contributing Writer GILLIAN Guess is back. orth Vancouver's most inf’mous former juror has filed a complaint against Joe Bellows, the Crown attorney who prosecuted her this sum- mer. Guess was charged with obstruction of justice after her sexual relationship) with accused murderer Peter Gill was made public, At the time her arfair with Gill began, Guess was a member of the jury thar acquitted him. Guess was sentenced to 18 months” imprisonment, but was subsequendy released pending an appeal scheduled for March 1999, Amongst the complai Guess has lodged ag Bellows with the Law Society of BC. are: Bithar he swore at her in court, telling her during pre- liminary hearings to “Ff... off"; W that he was doodling com- ments such as “z2z2z2" and “blah blah blah” on his fegal notepad, i full view of sever- al witnesses, while Guess was in the witness box; @ that Bellows told the jurv at Gils trial thar Guess had “deliberately positioned her- self in the jury box so Gill could look up her skirt, and that Guess “probably wasn’t wearing any underwear”; @ orhar Bellows had approached Hollywood pro- ducer Lyle Slack about a tiln based on Guess’ story. Complaints such as those made by Guess are rare, Of all complaints received by The Law Society (the governing body of the legal profession in B.C.), only abour 1% are filed against Crown counsel- lors. The complex investigation GILLIAN Guess ... files Law Society complaint against Joe Bellows. and review procedures involved in responding to complaints cans take several months, Hoa lawyer is found guilty of professional miscon- duct, reprimands trom the Law Society can inchide a fine of up to $20,006 oF suspen: sion, depending on the sever- ity of the allegations. Guess said she doesn't really want to sce Bellows punished: she just wants peo- ple ro be aware of his miscon- duet. “1 don't want him to be fined. i don’t want him to be suspended — he has a fami- ly," she said. “But PT don’t want other women to have to go chrough what Pye been through. (The legal profession) is an old boys’ club. They don’t like women, — especiilly vocal worhen.” “Mr. Bellows took great delight in defaming me, ver- bally assaulting me and all women with his remarks. He constantly engaged in) sexist thetoric and clearly abused any power given him by the state.” Bellows has admitted to the accusations of swearing. His lawyer, David Crossin, said ina stacement thar “Ale. Bellows acknowledges that the comment he made was an ipappropriate one to voval- ize, Bellows has also apolo- aized, via the Law Society, tor the doodling, stating thar he did not realize anyone was able to see his notepad. However, he disputes all other allegations against him by Guess. Ina Dee. 9 letter to the Law Society, Guess said that “Mr. Bellows apologizing ithrough the Law Society) is nop only inappropriate, it ts crass and: typically unprotes- sional.” “Mr. Bellows says he did not intend to enibarrass me —— FT suggest that he embar- rassed himself and the whole Crown counsel he serves.” Guess told the News that Bellows was “very cocky" during her trial. “He was holding up the notepad (in court). We could all read it,” she said. Guess also said thar Bellows persistentiy uttered gender-specific defamatory remarks. “He kepro saving things like, ‘ar her age,’ ‘she's a mother, ‘look at the way she dresses,’ “ she said. Guess points out that the Law Society's mandate is to search for the truth, but thar if Bellows continues to deny and “whitewash” her charges against him, then the society will take his side and “it will all wo away.” “(Bellows) considers him- self above the law,” she said. “But cnough is enough. Nobody wants co stand up to the big boys of the legal sys tem.” “Although I am a mere minnow swimming in a pool of sharks the ripples made in this age of information will eventually make waves.” uit ‘stunned’ la’ pened “Someone trom me while Twas on the phone that Valois escaped trem the court” he saidh am court Yuesday, He said he began inunediately ta coordinate a search far the man nicknamed “Babytace.” Leishman was part ofa tear OF police officers who executed aosearch warrant: and arrested Valois Jan. 26, 1986. Hie inter- shouted across Faday. December 18. 1993 - North Share News - 3 er bald and he sported: wire rhmined glasses. Fle spoke occa sronadly his lawser. Peter Benning. in French. The tral began almost an hour date as the court: shentts Sought a secure Courtroom, since they reared Valois posed a risk fo escape. Valois will be back in court in Vancouver Monday tor the likeiv conchision of his Jatest trial. stewed Vala tor 25 minutes the morning atter the arrest. He said) Valois’ suitcase was covered in pepper in) “an attempt ta hinder any dog smelling the contents.” Vailas, who pleaded nor guilty, appeared in court Tuesday weanng a gray, blue and red) Adidas jacket, blue pants, heavy gray sacks and Slippers with his ankles chained tovether, His head was shaved Neen ee iM ey, vl EV 1 NEWS photo Mike Wakefiold LYNN Valley resident Gaif Renard put her children’s Christmas presents in her trunk in hopes of keeping the eight-year-old twins from finding them. She didn’t bank on someone breaking into her car and stealing the gifts. Thief lifts Christmas goodies left in vehicle Robert Galster News Reporter robert@usnews.com GAIL Renard did not get her Christmas shopping out of the way early this vear only to have her pur- chases stolen. But that’s exactly how ir turned out, ynn Valley resident and single moth- ef of nvins bought $350 worth of gifts for her The kids. She put the items in the trunk because “cight-year-olds tend to look around and I thought it would be safer there.” Last Friday, Renard was on her way to work when she noticed the glove compartment in her Honda Civie was open and its contents strewn over the floor. There is a trunk latch in the glove compart- ment. It gave her pause for thought, but she was too afraid to look and drove to work as usual. She turned the dread over ir her mind for some time. By midday she couldn't bear the thought of the pit in her stomach gerting any bigger and she took a look. “Its kind of a sad thing because ar that point T knew # wouldn't be able to replenish the stuff,” said Renard. As the sudden pang of disappointment slowly cased into a dull throbbing sense of loss, Renard broke the news to her kids. “T told them it (their Christmas haul) would be lighter than usual,” said Renard. “My son rearranged his Christmas list and asked at the bottom for Santa to give me more money.” But it’s doubtful, Santa will be able to come through for her in time. “It hurts and F can’t imagine anyone living with themselves (after stealing someone’s Christmas gifts),” said Renard. “There's peo- ple out there that make it difficult for others.”