Guess defence pressures po! Witness tells of disc!osure of sex with Parjeet Gill Liam Lahey Contributing Writer DEFENCE attorney Peter Ritchie continued his attack on the RCMP’s investigation tactics in the Gillian Guess trial on Tuesday. Guess has been charged with obstructing justice and breach of trust. She was a juror in Parject (Peter) Gill’s 1995 murder trial and is alleged to have had an intimate relationship with the acquitted man during his trial. Aner establishing that the RCMP’s investigation of Guess started in November 1995, Ritchic asked Cpl. Douglas Kitho, why he and Const, Brendan Fitzpatnch charged Guess with obstruction of jus: tice and breach of rust. “Using nvo anonymous ps the Vancouver police received... you also know that the Special *O” unit filed reports on Ms. Guess and Mr. Gill, squeezing and hugging cach other at a bar in North Vancouver,” Ritchie said. “You had a gizmo put on Ms. Guess” tele- phone (call display) that tracks incoming calls... if this is all you know (at that time), why did you arrest my client on December 42” Before Kilho could respond, Ritchie asked the Mountic if he was aware of the BCTV taped interview Guess appeared on incognito. . “Yes, I do reeall chat,” Kilho said. “And you suspected the person in the TV interview to be Ms. Guess,” Ritchie asked: “IT don’t recall,” Kilho responded. Ritchie further cridcized the RCMP. tor “press- ing” vatness Cynthia Haves for a statement. Hayes, a former friend of Guess’, was adamant at the time of the investigation to not give the police a starement. “You fellas really wanted to hear from ber (Haves),” Ritchie said to Kilho. “You learned from a wiretap that she knows things abour the case.” Kilho, who appeared to handle Ritchie’s rapid- fire sevice of examination with comfort, seemed to be short on words when Ritchie asked him about the night of Guess" arrest. “Do vou recall descnb- ing in your report about a white haired lawyer that caine to the police station i represent Ms. Guess,” Ritchie asked. “Yes sir, I recall you were there,” Kilho said. “I told vou then, ‘Gentlemen, my client does not want to speak with you.” That’s what I told vou,” Ritchie said. “And what did vou do?” “[ went and talked to her,” Kilho replied. “Nothing slows you guys (the RCMP) down, does it,” “Na sir, it does nor,” Kilho responded. The noticeable dislike Guess has for Crown prosecutor Joe Bellows, was ilustrated during Bellows’ first question to Hayes. Bellows referred to Guess as ‘the accused.” That sent Guess into a rage. “My name is Gillian Giess, nor ‘the accused’,” Guess yelled out, “Thank vou Ms. Guess, we know your name,” Bellows shot back. lawyer. Ritchie said. Gillian Guess talks a | GILLIAN Guess gets to sit Seside her Friday, May 22, 1998 — North Shore News — 3 Obviously taking inte considerasion Guess’ opposi- tion to deing called such, Bellows referred 10 Guess as “Mis. Guess’ for the remainder of the day With a nervous looking Cynthia Haves on the stand, Bellows asked Cyer af Guess had discussed the details of the 1995 murder tial. “Yes, she (Guess) was very excited about being a juror,” Hayes said. “She desenibed it as ‘better than going out,’ and would get all dressed up for it.” When questioned about Guess’ alleged relationship with Panjcet (Peter) Gill, Hayes said Guess told her she was attracted to Gil, “She told me she did a dauble take when she saw this man,” Haves said. “She also told me she made eve contact (with Gill) and flirted, and thar he &.s responding.” The real blow came when Bellows asked Hayes if Guess had told fer about having sexual intercourse with Gill. ~ Yes, she (Guess) told me they had finally got together (duving Gill’s ual) and how happy she was,” Hayes stid. “She deseribed how she had sex with Peter Gill.” The day's proceedings got off to another quirky start, When Bellows asked Justice Raymond Paris to have Guess sit in the prisoner's box, and not at her council's table, where she has sat all along. “No, absolutely not, I’m not about to sit in thar inhumane, and archaic prisoner’s box,” Guess shouted, “IFT sit in that box, Fl be handcuffed.” Justice Paris, who has tolerated Guess’ outbursts throughout the trial with poise, ended the ongoing bickering by allowing Guess to remain alongside defence attorney Marilyn Sandford. bit about herself and where she’s frem Robert Gatster News Reporter robert@nsnews.com GUESS what? Gillian Guess was born on the fifth day of the fifth month of the °55th year, that’s what. The significance of these coincidences are unclear though they do play on the 43-year-old’s mind with regularity. Consider also that her current. problems — allegations of improprictics during her time as a juror at a murder trial — started in courtroom No. 55. She was born in England, bur her family emigrated to Canada when she “-was tivo and settled in Ontario. She went to school in Otrawa and married her first husband there at rhe relatively young age of 19 — too carly as if curned out. A year later Guess was divorced and headed west, eventually sevtling on Vancouver Island. She met her second husband, a medical researcher, while ‘there and had her first child Alana, now 15. Acting on what Guess calls her husband's “insatiable desire for wanderlust,” the young family moved to Saudi Arabia. They stayed in the Middle East for the next cight years. The period saw the arrival of their second child Adam, now 13. “TE really loved it (there). [ was one ‘of the few women thar loved i it,” said “os Guess, The fashion sense she’s displayed during her current court appearances did not see the light of the hor Arabian sun. Guess’ provocative attire may come across as an attempt to play it up for the media horde following her every move, but she insists that is not her intention. “I can wear a short skirt ... mirror and } don’ 1 see what other people sce ... by what they wear.” | As the 90s rolled around, Guess’ second marriage also started to hit the rocks, She decided to come home. “My marriage wasn't working out and J came back with the kids ... (I) wanted to reverse the culture shock,” she said. Planning to return to school, Guess enrolled at Capilano College with an cye toward eventually gaining a master’s degree in psychology. But with a bachelor’s degree in hand and halfway through a master’s program “life got in the way.” The opportunity to be part of a criminal trial j jury was too good to turn x down, considering the experience was perfectly suited to augment her mas- ter’s thesis. . As it turned out, the experience was a whole lor more than a working paper. It has since consumed her life, As the Guess trial continues,. her life has become one of structure. She rises early to read the papers reporting the previous day’s developments and drives ro the downtown courthouse. At about 4 p.m. court wraps up and she ~. returns home with the “music blasting.” Her favorites include Counting = Crows, Guns ‘n” Roses and George Michael. “Then it’s time for George and I to go to the park,” “loving dog.” She usually has her two kids on weekdays. Last week was an exception because they are with their father. ~ Acheck of the e-mails she may have received as well as a survey of the evening’s newscasts rounds out her evening. When she has time she also likes ro jog along the Seymour Parkway. Her favorite food is htalian. She doesn’t drink alcohol, but does consume a lot of water and Coke. “Right now F don’t even cat because Pm so wired on adrenaline, said with a'sigh. At the moment the future may look murky at best but finishing school is still in her plans. “It's on hold pending the return of my sanity, © The rrial continues. and still be smart,” said Guess. “I look in the you shouldn't read people said Guess of her ” she ” said Guess. NEWS photo Paul McGrath Herons on horizon ELISE Roberts (ieft to right), her puppet Harriet the heron and junior wardens Graeme, Patrick and Reji, look forward to the Osprey Festival tomorrow at the Maplewood wildlife sanctuary: _ Robert Galster News Reporter robert@nsnews,.com NORTH Vancouver RCMP hope they put a dent in the :° designer drug trade when they raided a drug lab oper- ation with strong local ties. The lab was located in a rented house between Pemberton and Lillooet and produced MDA, an amphetamine-based hallucinogenic. Eight men, the oldest of whom is 25, are facing charges in connection with the lab’s operation as a result of the bust. Five of the alleged operators hail from the North Shore. Charged with a variety of offences including manufacturing, a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking and pos- session of a restricted. weapon are 8 face charges; 6 cars seized from suspects Julian Davis, 24, Kingsley Davis, 23, Shane Kelter, 20, Joseph OReilly, 20, of North Vancouver and Damion Perry, 22, of West Vancouver. Also charged are Joshua Wolsey, 25, of North Delta, Gordon Mah, 22° and Nathan Gallagher,19, both ‘of Vancouver. The product of their lab was often sold as Eestacy and tends to be popular with the rave crowd. Its street value is pegged at anywhere from $3,400 ro $4,000 per ounce. Police raided the house at 11 p.m. last May 14 and continued rounding up the suspects into the next day. More than a pound or approximately $45,000 worth of MDA was seized during the raid. However, there were 40. kilo- grams of. raw materials present, enough to produce about $9.5 mil- lion worth of MDA in tab, capsule or pill form. : Six high-end vehicles were also seized as police rounded up the sus- pects. ; North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Const. Tom Scaman stressed that taking designer drugs poses a- serious threat to users’ health. “These drugs are being made up by people who have no real knowl- edge of what they are doing,” said Seaman. “You never really know what you are ingesting. It could kill you.” North Vancouver — provincial court staff arc processing the charges, but a court date has yet to be set for the accused.