Trial begins for Sudbury police officer charged with uttering threats at hockey game
A referee and a young player testified Tuesday at a trial of a Sudbury police officer charged with uttering threats to cause bodily harm and causing a disturbance.
Melissa Rancourt, 50, is on trial in connection with an incident at a hockey game Feb. 11 this year when she was head coach of an under-13 team in Espanola.
Rancourt has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
On Tuesday, the Espanola court heard from Sean Cassidy, a senior official refereeing that day, and a young player who can’t be identified.
Cassidy, one of two referees at the game, told the court that the atmosphere grew heated throughout the game, particularly after a penalty cancelled a goal in the third period.
He said Rancourt became more animated and angrier as the game went on and said many of the referees’ calls were challenged.
Cassidy testified that when a Walden player tied the game at 8-8, the player skated past the Espanola bench while making a celebratory hand gesture.
The referee testified he thought that gesture aggravated an already tense atmosphere, so both teams were led off the ice separately so as not to exacerbate the situation further. The game ended in a tie.
The young player testified that after the game, he heard Rancourt threaten players on the Walden team while they were in the hallway near the dressing rooms.
The player testified that Rancourt said, “If you guys ever do a celebration again, I’ll make sure you don’t celebrate again,” and also said she would “snap their ankles.”
The player said that’s when his friend’s mother stepped in, saying “Don’t talk to our kids like that.”
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
During his cross-examination, defence counsel Len Walker questioned the young person on the statement they initially gave police.
The defence is expected to call witnesses when the trial resumes Wednesday.
The trial is being presided over by Justice Dana Peterson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Federal government to further limit number of international students
The federal government will be further limiting the number of international students permitted to enter Canada next year. It's the government's latest immigration-related measure to address Canadians' ongoing housing and affordability concerns.
Search for suspect in Kentucky highway shooting ends with discovery of body believed to be his
Authorities say they believe the body of a man suspected of shooting and wounding five people on a Kentucky interstate highway has been found.
Here's why you should get all your vaccines as soon as possible
With all these shots, some Canadians may have questions about the benefit of each vaccine, whether they should get every shot and how often to get them, and if it's safe to get them all at once or if they should space them out.
Bloc MPs will vote confidence in Liberal government next week: Blanchet
The Conservatives' first shot at toppling the Liberal government is likely doomed to fail, after Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet told reporters his MPs will vote confidence in the government.
'I'm here for the Porsche': Video shows brazen car theft in Mississauga
Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.
Exploding electronic devices kill 20, wound 450 in second day of explosions in Lebanon
Lebanon's health ministry said Wednesday that at least 20 people were killed and 450 others wounded by exploding electronic devices in multiple regions of the country. The explosions came a day after an apparent Israeli attack targeting pagers used by Hezbollah killed at least 12 and wounded nearly 3,000.
'It starts off innocent': Manitoba man loses $185,000 to crypto-romance scam
A Manitoba man is warning others after he fell victim to an elaborate online scam over the summer.
Teen faces new charge in Sask. high school arson attack
A 14-year-old student who allegedly set her classmate on fire is facing a new charge.
Quebec woman charged with first-degree murder in death of five-year-old boy
A 29-year-old Quebec woman is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a five-year-old boy southwest of Montreal.