| This article is part of an ongoing series documenting the criminal trials of former high-ranking members of the Thunder Bay Police Service. Here’s what we know so far: Trial of TPBS lawyer Holly Walbourne • April 13: Background/Morriseau offers first testimony • April 14: Walbourne defense seeks clarity: “This is uncharted” The trial of TBPS police chief Sylvie Hauth is scheduled for May 5 |
The trial of former Thunder Bay Police Service lawyer Holly Walbourne took a dramatic turn Tuesday afternoon as Deputy Chief Ryan Hughes took the stand.
Walbourne and former police chief Sylvie Hauth have been indicted over their actions during a 2020 internal investigation into former police board chair Georjann Morriseau. Hauth had her case postponed due to medical reasons.
As Deputy Chief, Hughes was Hauth’s second in command. He testified that his working relationship with Hauth “deteriorated” and later “fell apart” between 2020 and 2021, and cited the Morriseau investigation as a primary factor.
A copy of Hughes’ official memo book during that time period was made available to both the defense and the prosecution. However, Hughes surprised the court by mentioning a personal notebook that he kept private.
“I thought my notebooks would be gone through,” Hughes testified. “There was a lot of stuff going on in 2020 and 2021 where I thought, or I felt like I was being targeted by senior administration (…) I did make a few notes, not in my memo book, about stuff that happened at the service, that was told, or commented to me.”
Hughes said there were under six pages in that notebook, and it’s currently kept in his home. He said the notes concern Holly Walbourne.
He will bring this personal notebook to court tomorrow, unaltered.
Later in his testimony, Hughes confirmed that Detective Jason Rybak called him in November of 2020 with concerns about being involved in “The Home Sense Investigation.” Hughes said he was suspicious that Georjann Morriseau leaked this information to Rybak, but could not confirm these suspicions.
Hughes testified that he had a friendly relationship with Holly Walbourne at the time, and he would “run stuff by her frequently.” He discussed this matter over the phone with Walbourne, and the potential of a criminal investigation was raised without mention of conflict of interest. Hughes said he did not take notes on this call at the time, and said that was a mistake.
In an email from Holly Walbourne to Sylvie Hauth and Ryan Hughes on November 19, 2020, Walbourne wrote that after speaking with the officer conducting the Home Sense Investigation, she believed Georjann Morriseau was willfully obstructing their investigation. The investigator had called Morriseau three times and left a message with no response, and he believed she had more information she wasn’t providing.
Hughes said he called Rybak after reading this email, and that is when Rybak confirmed Morriseau had told him his name was mentioned in the investigation.
The court then adjourned for the day. Hughes will take the stand again Wednesday morning.
