Sexual

EVERY now and again,
it almost looks as
though some measure
of justice has been
done. Such.was the case
last week when North
Van hotelicr Ken
Hutchinson, was exon-
, erated for the second
time on sexual assault
and sexual harassment
accusations.

But, as with most acca-
sions when we peer into the
morass masquerading as a
justice system in BC, we find
all is not what it appears to
be.

Hutchinson is a self made
man, having started working
in the bar of the Coachhouse
before taking 3 flyer ona
cabaret, fondly recalled by
many North Shore residents,
_called Gooty’

He graduated to the
Lynwood then ultimately to
his current digs at the Avafon

‘on Marine. Drive.

Along the way, he has had
an influence on many local
residents who have cither

“worked for him, or known
‘him working in the bars and
clubs where they spent their

mailbox

Leo
Knight

crime and
| punishment

young adult life.

Still crim and athletic,
Huteniason could be air actor
in a davtime soap opera.

Yet. he found himself’
involved in a real lite soap so
bizarre no Hollywood sereen
writer could have dreamed it
up.

Unfortunately, this story
has too many twists and turns
to tell in its entirety given the
allotted space of a newspaper
column.

Twill, however, try to give
vou 2 sense of what happens
when political correctness
and logic are at opposite
ends.

Remember Rachel
Marsden and Liam Donnelly.
“Heli hath no furv as a wise
man once said.” (quoted with
all duc apologies to a certain
Vancouver police detective.)

To understand this story
we have to go back to the

een eNO REM Ne RENEE nar me eh OTe OAS Lene ak nO

late "SOs.

Hutchinson, then a single
man, was what we used to
call a plavboy in less political-
ly correct times.

A ladies’ man with the
looks, attitude and the money
to back it up.

He, perhaps anwisely,
began dating one of his
employees, a young, attrac-
tive girl who worked the
front desk at his hotei.

During this short period,
they had consensual sex ar his
house.

The relationship dida’t
fast, as Hutchinson went on
to his next ladytriend.

The girl, wha cannot be
named by court order, got
herself inte some trouble in
1993, some four-plus years
tater,

in carly 1993 she got con-
victed for thett. Several
months later, she was before
the court convicted with pos-
session for the purpose of

She a evoached
Hutchinson for a $4,000
Joan to pav her legal costs.

He refused to lend her the
money, but, given her service
to the hotel, he offered to
co-sign a loan at ier bank.

~ Smoking stance is hypocritical

Dear Editor:

With reference to your
article on North Vancouver
City council’s ban on smok-
ing. What a bunch of hyp-
ocrites. .

Councillor Mussatto
_and city council are’ so anx-
ious to ban the demon ciga-
rette, why don’t they dan the
sale of the products in the
city as well:
' They will not do that
_ because it is iegal and a huge
“source. of taxation for their
“friends in: Victoria.
> Let’s- see some _ real
courage from: this council
“and ban the sale of liquor and
gasoline as well.

‘Mailbox policy

Both great sources of tax-
ation for 4 bloated bureaucra-
cy.
In this way we will not
have cancer, alcoholism or
traffic carnage and we can
put Mr. Mussatro, ambulance
attendant, on the unemploy-
ment line with all the restau-
rant employees.

After that is accomplished,
perhaps | will be visited by
his self-righteous i!k. and
they will close my furniture
business because I have too
many dust particles in my
workshop.

Get a life, you people.
Just as I cheose to work in
this environment out of

necessity, TP understand the
health risks as do all normal
thinking adults who make
the decision to enter a pub
or bingo hall.

David Tapping

Tapping’s Furniture

ost

This, she refused.

Around the same time,
Hutchinson appointed some-
one else into a management
position the girl wanted.

For some reason he didn’t
want a convicted thief having
the kevs to the cookie jar, so
to speak

Ge figure.

She was angzs. Se angry
she tried to dig up some dirt
on the person who got the
position using a ruse.

But there was no dirt to
dig. When she was caught up
in her lies, she took stress
leave and filed a grievance
with her union claiming sexu-
al harassment agains:
Hutchinson.

She initially said she'd take
$50,000 to drop the matter.
Hutchinson, having done
nothing wrong, absolutely
refused. But when her dreams
of riches weren't forthcom-
ing, sexual harassment
becamte sexual assault.

For some inexplicable rea-
son, West Van PD bought
into the line touted by the
would be manageress-come-
thief.

This started an investiga-
tion far out of ine with the
accusations at hand, fet alone
the credibility, or lack there-
of, of the accuser.
Hutchinson, who has no
criminal record, scemingly
became public enemy number
one.

The female complainant
went through her union's
long term disability coverage,
for her stress don’t vou know,
until that ran out.

She then went on unem-
ployiient benefits. In the
interim, the Worker's
Compensation Board put her
ona monthly stipend of over
$1700, tay free.

§.Laursen & Son Draperies and Blinds Ltd.

Serving the
* tower Mainland since 197 7d

oar

este

fy

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Wednesday, March 18. 1998 — North Shore News - 7

They also gave her a
lump sum cheque of over
$24,000, oste snsibly to repay
her union's insurance plan
and CIC.

Apparently not.
During her testimony in

the Human Rights portion of

Hurchinson’s ordeal, she tes-
tified, after first implying all
the money had been paid
back, that she “had better
things to do with the
money.” Yeah, right.

Another “victim” came
forward with bizarre claims as
a result of the media cover-
age, claims Liter proven to be
false, dating, back te the early
"SQ. when both she and
Hutchinson were at the
Lynnwood Hotel.

She also chambered upon
the Compensagon bandwag
on. Whoops, there goes
ancther $1200 per month,
tax free.

WCB, in their infinite wis-
dom and absoltte political
correemess, attached her
claim to the Avalon Hotel
where she has never worked a
day.

So far, the WCB has paid
out an estimated $250,000 in
this case. Joe Pinto,
spokesman for the WCB, said
the matter is being investigat-
ed.

Dow’t spare the horses,

taxpayers

Joe.

[can’t tor the fife of me
figure out how this thing
even got to first base.

Basic objectivity in check-
ing out the details of the alle-
gations should have demon-
strated the women were
Iving.

Ultimately, that’s what
happened.

Real bad guvs are caught
red handed and the Crown
looks for every reason, real or
imagined, te keep the case
from a court of law.

Bat make wild allegations
of sexual assault for the basest
of personal, selfish reasons ---
revenge and money — and
the system falis all over itself”
to “get the guy.”

So far, Hutchinson has
paid our $200,000 to Jawyers
to defend him.

The system has paid 3
greater amount to the dis-
credited complainants, and so
far, there's no sign of the
money tap being turned off.

Never mind the cost to
the taxpayer of the investiga-
tion, five days in criminal
court and seventeen days in
the Human Rights Tribunal.

Hutchinson's reputation
has been seriously damaged.
The supposed victims can't
even be publicly identified.

Where is justice after all?

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