R. v. Deane (K.), (2000) 129 O.A.C. 335 (CA)

• Judge: Catzman, Carthy and Weiler, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Ontario)
• Case Date: September 15, 1999
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (2000), 129 O.A.C. 335 (CA)

R. v. Deane (K.) (2000), 129 O.A.C. 335 (CA)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2000] O.A.C. TBEd. FE.059

Her Majesty The Queen (appellant) v. Kenneth Deane (respondent)

(C27849, C27321)

Indexed As: R. v. Deane (K.)

Ontario Court of Appeal

Catzman, Carthy and Weiler, JJ.A.

February 18, 2000.

Summary:

The accused police officer was convicted of criminal negligence causing death and received a conditional sentence of two years less a day. He appealed his conviction. The Crown cross-appealed the sentence.

The Ontario Court of Appeal, Weiler, J.A., dissenting, dismissed the appeal and cross-appeal.

Criminal Law - Topic 5045

Appeals - Indictable offences - Dismissal of appeal if no prejudice, substantial wrong or miscarriage results - What constitutes a substantial wrong or miscarriage of justice - The accused police officer was convicted of criminal negligence causing death - He appealed his conviction arguing, inter alia, that the trial judge erred in failing to hold a voir dire respecting statements he made to his commander - The Ontario Court of Appeal, dismissed the appeal - The court assumed that the voir dire was necessary and the evidence respecting the accused's statements to his commander should not have been admitted because they were made to a person in authority - The court concluded that the trial was fair, or fairer to the accused, than a new trial would be -There was no reasonable possibility that the verdict would have been different had the error not been made - See paragraphs 69 to 110.

Criminal Law - Topic 5332

Evidence and witnesses - Confessions and voluntary statements - Voir dire - Necessi­ty - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5045 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4

Punishments (sentence) - Conditional sentence - When available or appropriate - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5863.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5863.1

Sentence - Criminal negligence causing death - The accused police officer was convicted of criminal negligence causing death - The victim was a native shot dur­ing an occupation of a provincial park (land claim dispute) - The accused re­ceived a conditional sentence of two years less a day on July 3, 1997 - The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the Crown's sentence appeal - The sentence had already been served - The trial judge emphasized the unique circumstances presented to him - Even if a three year penitentiary term had been imposed, the accused would by now have reached his statutory release date - See paragraphs 122 to 126.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. M.C.H. (1998), 230 N.R. 1; 113 O.A.C. 97; 127 C.C.C.(3d) 449 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 3].

R. v. B.G. (1999), 240 N.R. 260; 174 D.L.R.(4th) 301; 135 C.C.C.(3d) 303 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Calder (M.), [1996] 1 S.C.R. 660; 194 N.R. 321; 90 O.A.C. 18; 105 C.C.C.(3d) 1; 46 C.R.(4th) 133, refd to. [para. 35].

Monette v. R., [1956] S.C.R. 400, refd to. [para. 35].

R. v. Piche, [1971] S.C.R. 23, refd to. [para. 37].

R. v. Lessard (1982), 10 C.C.C.(3d) 61 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 41].

R. v. Lapointe and Sicotte (1983), 9 C.C.C.(3d) 366 (Ont. C.A.), affd. [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1253; 76 N.R. 228; 21 O.A.C. 176; 35 C.C.C.(3d) 287, refd to. [para. 41].

R. v. Belanger (1978), 40 C.C.C.(2d) 335 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 41].

R. v. Arndt, Brooks, Harvey and Stefiuk (1981), 11 Man.R.(2d) 389; 61 C.C.C.(2d) 268 (Co. Ct.), refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. Erven (1978), 25 N.R. 49; 30 N.S.R.(2d) 89; 49 A.P.R. 89; 44 C.C.C.(2d) 76 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 45].

R. v. Morris, [1979] 2 S.C.R. 1041; 27 N.R. 313; 26 N.B.R.(2d) 273; 55 A.P.R. 273; 47 C.C.C.(2d) 257, refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Jesty (A.S.) (1996), 155 N.S.R.(2d) 186; 457 A.P.R. 186 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Powell (1976), 9 N.R. 361; 28 C.C.C.(2d) 148 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 53].

R. v. Park (1981), 37 N.R. 501; 59 C.C.C.(2d) 385 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 54].

R. v. Harrer (H.M.), [1995] 3 S.C.R. 562; 186 N.R. 329; 64 B.C.A.C. 161; 105 W.A.C. 161; 101 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. White (J.K.) (1999), 240 N.R. 1; 123 B.C.A.C. 161; 201 W.A.C. 161; 135 C.C.C.(3d) 257 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. Wildman, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 311; 55 N.R. 27; 5 O.A.C. 241; 14 C.C.C.(3d) 321, refd to. [para. 58].

R. v. Drakes (G.) (1991), 51 Q.A.C. 215; 69 C.C.C.(3d) 274 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. Wells (S.W.), [1998] 2 S.C.R. 517; 230 N.R. 183; 112 B.C.A.C. 101; 182 W.A.C. 101, refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. Jackson and Davy (1991), 51 O.A.C. 92; 68 C.C.C.(3d) 385 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 61, 102].

R. v. Mohan, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 9; 166 N.R. 245; 71 O.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. Korponay, [1982] 1 S.C.R. 41; 44 N.R. 103; 65 C.C.C.(2d) 65, refd to. [para. 66].

R. v. Bevan and Griffith, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 599; 154 N.R. 245; 64 O.A.C. 165; 104 D.L.R.(4th) 180; 82 C.C.C.(3d) 310; 21 C.R.(4th) 277, refd to. [para. 110].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Kaufman, The Admissibility of Confes­sions (3rd Ed. 1979), p. 139 [para. 41].

Counsel:

Milan Rupic, for the appellant;

Alan D. Gold and Michelle K. Fuerst, for the respondent.

This appeal and cross-appeal was heard on September 15, 1999, before Catzman, Carthy and Weiler, JJ.A., of the Ontario Court of Appeal. The judgment of the Court of Ap­peal was delivered on February 18, 2000, and the following opinions were filed:

Weiler, J.A., dissenting - see paragraphs 1 to 68;

Carthy, J.A. (Catzman, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 69 to 126.