4@ ~ Wednesday, Anrii 30, 1997 — North Shore News

NV juror faces chstructic

Alleged affair
with accused
key to charge

By Ancre Ramshaw
Contributing Writer

A North Vancouver
woman who served as a
juror in a celebrated
murder trial is soon to
feature in her own legal
drama.

In what is believed to be a
Canadian, if not a North
American first, 41-year-old
Gillian Guess is being accused
of obstructing justice by carry-
ing on an affair with an accused
murderer while serving on the
jury at his tial.

Yesterday the mother of
two elected trial by jury at her
preliminary hearing before
provincial court Judge
Elizabeth Arnold in
Vanicouver,

The Crown has been grant-
ed a ban on publication during
the hearing.

But outside court on
Monday, Guess said: “EP have
never obstructed justice. [| am
not a criminal.”

She said she is totally con-
fused as to why she is being
charged: “I have no idea of
what the crime is Pve commit-

ac
being in a “rush to justice
said he needed more time to
talk with his client and to
review extensive police notes.

But Judge — Elizabeth
Arnold denied Ritchie’s appli-
cation for an adjournment, say-
ing the police evidence will not
be called unzil late in the trial
and that other issues can be
dealt with in a rotr dire — a
trial within a crial.

Crown counsel Joe Bellows
intends to call wiretap evidence
of conversations recorded at
the home of Guess and her sis-
ter.

Ritchie called the operation
“massive” and said he needs
time to advise his client.

Ritchie repeatedly suggest-
ed thar the Crown was guilty
of not properly disclosing rele-

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vant information and not fully
outlining charges it is bringing
against Guess.

But Bellows said the Crown
will show that Guess had a per-
sonal relationship with Peter
Gill while he was on tral tor

out on bail during the cight-
month trial, When the tial
ended, Guess publicly criti-
cized police for their handling
of the case.

The Crown intends to call
six former jurcrs to show that

“{ have never obstructed justice.
Tam not a criminal ... I have no idea
of what the crime is I’ve committed.

murder.

Gill and five co-accused
were acquitted by a jury in
1995 of the murders of Ron
and Jimmy Dosanjh.

It is alleged that Guess had
an affair with Gill while he was

Guess was making eye contact
with Gill in court and was seen
talking with him outside the
courthouse.

Guess is charged with wil-
fully obstructing and_pervert-
ing justice. She is believed to

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be the first former juror in
North America to face such
charges.

Despite efforts by Ritchie
to postpone the tial, Judge
Arnold wants it to go ahead as
quickly as possible.

Prosecutor Bellows said the
fact Guess had a relationship
with Gill will be sufficient
proof that she violated the
juror’s oath to be impartial.

But Ritchie called the oath
vague and imprecise. He said
the Crown's — indictment
against Guess amounted to a
“mere theory” rather than a
charge.

“We seem to be thrusting
quickly to a trial in this mat-
ter,” the defence lawyer said.
“It leaves me in a state of per-
plexion as to how 1’m going to
defend my client.”

Ritchie added that Guess,
who currently has two children
and no source of income,

in tr

would like to get the trial

under way but must first be

fully aware of what defence
he can mount.

$ case is somewhat iike

a changing landscape,” he said.

But Bellow said., “It’s a
novel offence but it’s not com-
plicated.”

Guess, who who wore a
cream suit with high-heeled
shoes, fiddled with beads and a
necklace during the day and
often walked up to talk with
Ritchie.

At one point, when the
judge told her she would be
compelled to decide on
Tuesday what form of uial she
chose, Guess blurted out
something but was swiftly
silenced by her lawyer.

At the time she was serving
as a juror in the Dosanjh case,
Guess was working as a victim
assistance counsellor with the
North Vancouver RCMP.

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