Pubdate: Thu, 25 Oct 2007
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2007 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Tony Blais, Court Bureau
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

EX-MOUNTIE ADDICTED TO CRACK: COURT DOCUMENTS

Freedom of the press and upholding the openness of the Canadian court 
system has trumped the privacy issues of a cocaine-addicted former 
undercover RCMP officer.

An Edmonton judge today vacated a publication ban issued in an 
ongoing drug trafficking case and granted Sun Media access to 
exhibits in the proceeding.

Included in the court documents was information confirming former 
RCMP Const. Steve Gillespie was addicted to crack cocaine while 
working as an undercover officer for the Integrated Response to 
Organized Crime unit.

The documents also reveal Gillespie, who is no longer a Mountie, used 
methamphetamine when crack cocaine was not available and said he 
liked the effects of it because "it was cheaper, he was less paranoid 
and could work and be around people."

Gillespie revealed he spent $80,000 of his own money to support his 
drug habit, which equates to 1,000 grams of cocaine at $80 per gram, 
say the documents.

According to interviews done in an internal RCMP investigation, 
Gillespie told a fellow officer he was "hooked and addicted 
immediately" after trying crack for the first time and said his 
desire stemmed from stress at work.

Gillespie, who had been promoted to corporal just before admitting 
his addiction in 2005, also said his habit was "like a switch" and if 
he woke up and needed to use, "it would be out of his control."

He admitted being a "binge user" and buying the cocaine from 
dial-a-dopers, but denied using informants, targets or other contacts 
he met through his work to obtain drugs.

Another officer told an internal inquiry Gillespie was starting to 
get "delusions of grandeur" and "go wild and stuff." When asked to 
elaborate, the officer said it stemmed from the undercover cops 
"working" bikers.

"They got in the role and the way they acted, the only difference 
between them and the bikers, was that they had a badge," said the 
officer, who cannot be identified.

Gillespie tried to prevent Sun Media from accessing the exhibits, but 
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Doreen Sulyma ruled in favor of Sun 
Media, citing the importance of the freedom of the press and the 
openness of the courts.

Sun Media lawyer Barry Zalmanowitz argued the public had a right to 
know that a person sworn to uphold the law had a problem with illegal drugs.

"It's clearly a breach of duty and a breach of trust for a member of 
a police force to be abusing cocaine," he said.

Gillespie's cocaine addiction was first revealed when an accused drug 
dealer became upset the Crown wanted to use evidence against him that 
comes from a wiretap operation approved on the word of the drug 
addicted Mountie. 
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