BREMNER GUILTY OF TRAFFICKING

Judge Says He Accepted Most Evidence Of Police Informant

In the last court case associated with a massive drug sting that used
a criminal informant to gather evidence, a Supreme Court judge found
a Spryfield drug dealer guilty of trafficking crack in the Springhill prison.

Justice Walter Goodfellow read out the verdict against Brian James
Bremner, a.k.a. B. J. Marriott, in a Halifax courtroom at about 1:30
p.m. Saturday. The sentencing hearing has been set for Nov. 23.

After the verdict, sheriffs started escorting Mr. Bremner out of the
courtroom when his mother asked whether he would be staying in a
local jail or going back to prison while awaiting the sentence.

"No," said Mr. Bremner, indicating he was headed back to Quebec,
where he's already doing federal time for man-

slaughter and a separate drug charge.

"Just another day in paradise, huh?" said Mr. Bremner, who wore work
boots, blue jeans, a white T-shirt and an unbuttoned checked shirt.

"I love ya, bud," his mother answered.

She wouldn't speak to the media afterwards.

Mr. Bremner was one of 82 people charged in 2002 in Operation Midway,
a police sting that involved Bruce Jackson, 44, who turned on his
former drug bosses and helped police gather evidence through such
means as hidden videos and taped phone conversations.

Mr. Jackson, who said he was disturbed by the violence and wanted out
of the drug business, is now in a witness protection program.

At the time, police weren't aware of the prison drug dealing but told
Mr. Jackson to follow through on the deal to help them gather the evidence.

Federal Crown attorney Susan Bour and defence lawyer Warren Zimmer
summarized their arguments Saturday morning and, as they had in
previous days, concentrated on Mr. Jackson's credibility.

"Mr. Jackson was often involved in telling different people different
stories," Mr. Zimmer said. "Taking any one comment that he makes in
isolation and using it for a particular purpose can be very misleading."

He accused Mr. Jackson of directing conversations because they were
being taped to collect evidence. He also said Mr. Jackson's testimony
was rendered invalid by some mistakes he made that prompted him to
admit during cross-examination that he had forgotten important details.

Another target of Mr. Zimmer involved a former girlfriend of Mr.
Jackson's who may have stolen $30,000 from him.

As well, he pointed out that Mr. Bremner never actually handled the
drugs, but Justice Goodfellow challenged him on this and noted that
he directed the delivery of the "prison package," which was carried
inside a body cavity of another inmate's girlfriend.

In his ruling, Justice Goodfellow admitted he had "serious
reservations" regarding some of Mr. Jackson's evidence but said he
considered the bulk of it to be credible.

He said the evidence showed Mr. Bremner orchestrated the drug delivery.

"It would be naive to think the accused wouldn't know his
instructions had been carried out," the judge said.