FORMER MOUNTIE TO BE SENTENCED FRIDAY

FORMER North Vancouver RCMP Const. Scott Simpson has spent the last
month locked up in jail for 23 hours a day.

One hour a day was available to him for exercise.

Simpson, 38, was detained in custody after a bail hearing in North
Vancouver provincial court.

Because Simpson was a police officer, he was placed in segregation for
his protection from other inmates.

Simpson was charged with failing to appear in court on Oct. 25, the
day he was expected to enter a guilty plea to a charge of marijuana
trafficking in North Vancouver.

Instead, Simpson was in Ontario. Taxpayers spent $5,000 to have
Simpson arrested and brought back to B.C. under police escort to face
his charge, according to information presented by the Crown in
November at a bail hearing.

Immediately after the bail hearing, Simpson pleaded guilty to
trafficking marijuana to two 14-year-old Keith Lynn Alternate
secondary students.

On Friday in North Vancouver provincial court, Simpson's lawyer Paul
Janzen, said his client had done enough jail time for the offence.
Janzen asked the judge to sentence Simpson to time served and
probation. If more jail was necessary Janzen asked for a conditional
sentence. Conditional sentences are not served in jail.

Federal Crown lawyer John Cliffe asked for six months in jail for an
offence involving a breach of trust. Simpson's month of what is
referred to as "dead time" could be taken into account as already
being the equivalent of two months of a six-month jail sentence.

Judge William Diebolt reserved his decision until Christmas Eve
morning. He did so because the defence lawyer gave him extra material
to read at the start of sentencing proceedings.

Simpson had not sold the marijuana to the boys, but "shared" it with
them in separate incidents over a year beginning in February 1998.
According to the Crown, Simpson smoked marijuana with each of the
teens once or twice a week. This went on for more than six months for
one of the youths, according to the Crown. Simpson got one of the boys
to buy marijuana for him when Simpson's "dealer was not available."

Simpson's former colleagues at the North Vancouver RCMP began to
criminally investigate him following a complaint by the Keith Lynn
Alternate principal in January about Simpson's relationship with one
of the teens. A North Vancouver RCMP school liaison officer also
complained when students spoke to him about Simpson being a "bad cop"
who smoked marijuana with a student.

The prosecuting Crown lawyer noted that Simpson earned the trust of
the boys and their single parent mothers by holding himself out as a
police officer, role model and Big Brother.

Simpson immediately started smoking marijuana with both boys. Simpson
smoked with one or the other teens at his home in Richmond and in his
car. Simpson moved to a basement suite in the 3200-block of Regent
Avenue in Carisbrooke during the course of the crime.

In a search of Simpson's basement suite in February, North Vancouver
Mounties found small amounts of marijuana and hashish along with
smoking materials such as rolling paper.

They also found a uniquely carved cobra-style pipe used for smoking
marijuana. Simpson confessed to seizing that pipe from a youth in Lynn
Valley three to four years ago while he was on duty as a North
Vancouver Mountie.

Simpson also confessed to trafficking to the two teenagers. He
resigned his job the day he confessed, but the resignation was not
effective until a few weeks later.

Both boys have troubled backgrounds and are small in stature,
according to the Crown.

One boy was from an abusive family and "vulnerable." Simpson had met
the teen when the teen was apprehended as a passenger in a stolen car
with two other youths. Simpson met the other boy while another officer
investigated an incident involving the boy breaking a window. The boy
stayed overnight at Simpson's home, according to the Crown.

One of the boys was having troubles with his peers because he had
testified in youth court in North Vancouver and had a "reputation of
being a rat." Simpson broke off his relationship with this boy after
the constable suspected the youth had broken into his home and taken
money.

The 12-year RCMP veteran confessed that he had started smoking
marijuana at age 14 and did so every day from age 21. The only time
Simpson did not smoke marijuana daily was when he was in training.

The prosecuting lawyer pointed out that when Simpson was arrested on
Nov. 16 in Port Hope, Ontario, Simpson's jacket smelled like
marijuana. Simpson reportedly told the arresting Mountie he had
"probably" smoked marijuana "last night."

"He is committing a further offence," said Cliffe.

Simpson's lawyer apologized to the North Van Mounties, the teenagers,
their mothers and Simpson's parents for the former constable's
conduct. Janzen referred to Simpson has having an "significant error
in judgement.

"If this was an ordinary citizen, I frankly say, I doubt if we'd be
here today," said Janzen.

The judge said he had a question that Janzen and Simpson didn't have
to answer.

"Why this occurred?... He did not foresee a criminal act will wipe him
out?" asked Diebolt.

The defence lawyer appeared uncomfortable when Simpson insisted on
speaking to the judge.

Said Simpson, " I know I can't justify this."

He said that he wanted the boys to attend school, get an education and
learn to smoke marijuana responsibly.

He said one of the boys was smoking marijuana all day and all night.
The teen was stealing from his mother to buy marijuana.

"He was on a constant quest for marijuana," said Simpson. "He was just
out of control."

Simpson said he tried to show the teens you could achieve goals and
get an education and smoke marijuana responsibly.

Simpson was a patrol officer for the four years he worked in North
Vancouver. He had a previous conviction in 1994 of having a blood
alcohol level greater than .08.

Simpson bought and operates a beer and wine brewing franchise in Port
Hope. He lives with his parents in Peterborough, Ontario where he was
born and raised.