UPDATED: 3:33 p.m.
The key witness at the Keith Hobbs extortion trial has finished testifying, but not before more tough questioning. Week two opened with George Joseph, the lawyer for one of the co-accused, cross-examining the witness who is being referred to as the alleged victim because of a media ban.
Joseph asked the alleged victim about his status in the community, his wealth and prestige. The key witness suggested he didn’t have prestige and that he considered himself well-off. Text messages were also reviewed between the alleged victim and others. Key highlights from those messages include the alleged victim suggesting Mary Voss saved his life. Joseph also brought up that even after the two weren’t communicating as much that Voss still reached out to ensure the alleged victim was taking his medication.
Voss’ lawyer continued questioning suggested a fight between Voss and the alleged victim over a phone call she had with a man from Ghana didn’t happen. The alleged victim responded, “you can suggest whatever you want, but it happened.” Photos from a video involving alleged injuries the victim said he had shown injuries to his lower body but not to his face where he claimed he was punched by Voss.
Joseph also suggested to the key witness that it was interesting that Voss would speak in English on the phone that “she would get more money out of him” if she knew how to speak other languages. The defence lawyer also asked the alleged victim how he knew she was talking about him to which the alleged victim responded that he just assumed she was talking about him.
Joseph tried to point out inconsistencies in what the alleged victim has told various individuals about the alleged extortion case. Joseph suggests that out of the many hours of statements provided to the OPP and the Crown Attorney that the alleged victim never said the accused Voss gave police a USB full of videos. Joseph suggested that this USB information wasn’t brought up until preliminary hearing.
The alleged victim: “My memory tells me that she did.”
George Joseph: “You didn’t tell the police this evidence.”
Alleged victim: “It may be that it slipped through the cracks and either I or the police officer failed to bring it up.”
Joseph suggested to the alleged victim that Mary Voss never said to him that she had videos and was going to go to the police with them.
The alleged victim: “it’s not consistent with my memory.”
George Joseph: “a memory you have said was impacted by alcohol.”
The so-called fake will was also discussed Monday. Joseph put to the alleged victim that he dictated the will and signed off on it but just didn’t remember doing it because of his drinking.
Joseph reviewed text messages between the alleged victim and Voss and described them as a tirade where he asked Voss who the boss is. Joseph suggested to the key witness that the only reason he texted her this comment over and over was because he felt comfortable talking to her like that because he didn’t think she would ever go away.
The alleged victim also agreed with her lawyer that it was fair to say that Voss never said she would go to the police if he didn’t buy her a house. However, the alleged victim told the court that he believed she was put under the [Hobbses] spell and that she foolishly participated and was lead down the garden path. He went on to say that he didn’t recall her badgering him about a house and that the badgering came from the “other two”.
Another witness has been called to the stand and that person could easily be identified or linked to the extortion victim and because of that we are going to limit what we say about their testimony. There are several publication bans in place covering some of the details of this case and related ones.
Her testimony revolved around a luncheon that took place that involved the accused where it is said they signed an agreement involving a house. The witness told the court that it was a friendly affair however later when the alleged victim took issue with the price of the house things got more heated.
Other testimony involved text messages between herself and accused Mary Voss as well as conversations she says she overheard the alleged victim have with others including Keith Hobbs. Hobbs’ defence lawyer Brian Greenspan put the blame back on the witness saying she was known to be drinking and have a foggy memory because of that. Greenspan also suggested the witness was the one trying to blackmail the alleged victim.
The witness testified she and Craig Loverin went to one of the alleged victim’s homes to pick up a USB stick and not to get documents signed. This counters what Loverin testified last week. After further questioning, she told Greenspan that he jogged her memory and that she remembers having documents to get signed.
She wrapped her testimony yesterday with Voss’ lawyer George Joseph finishing his cross-examination.
Former mayor Hobbs, his wife Marisa, and co-accused Mary Voss are accused of trying to get a $400,000 house from the alleged victim. Four weeks have been set aside for the proceedings.
