POLICE ACCUSER DENIES HIS INJURIES WERE MINIMAL

A former pot dealer who claims drug squad detectives "tortured" him
over nine hours adamantly denies his injuries were minimal or occurred
after he went berserk.

In a dramatic and combative exchange with defence lawyer John Rosen,
star Crown witness Christopher Quigley angrily fended off suggestions
he is exaggerating his injuries because he has an "agenda."

"You have your agenda and I have mine," Quigley said at a Toronto
police corruption trial. "And that's to tell the truth."

Rosen went over hospital records and suggested they don't back up
Quigley's claim that in the spring of 1998 he was viciously kicked,
punched and choked in a police interview room to the point he thought
he was going to die.

"There was nothing wrong with your head," said Rosen, lawyer for
former detective John Schertzer, head of Team 3 of Central Field
Command drug squad.

"There was quite a bit wrong with my head," Quigley shot back. "I had
a huge gash that required stitches. I had a massive amount of injuries
done to me while I was in that room, sir."

Rosen suggested Quigley got the head cut when he "went berserk" upon
learning detectives were going to open a safety deposit box where he
stashed his cash, and that he had to be restrained after he attacked
an officer.

"That is the biggest lie," Quigley replied. "That never happened, and
we both know it."

Quigley is the first Crown witness to testify at the Ontario Superior
Court trial of Schertzer, 54, Ned Maodus, 48, Steve Correia, 44,
Joseph Miched, 53, and Raymond Pollard, 47.

The former Team 3 officers collectively face 29 charges, laid in
January 2004, including attempt to obstruct justice, perjury, assault
and extortion related to events between 1997 and 2002.

Quigley has testified he was covered in blood after the beating, and
when he was taken to the cells a shocked uniformed officer screamed
for an ambulance.

But Rosen pointed out that the ambulance didn't arrive until 90 minutes later.

Rosen also noted Quigley was released from Sunnybrook hospital after
some seven hours.

Dramatic pictures of his injuries that Quigley had his girlfriend take
of him the following day are calculated to show him when his bruises
looked their worst - several hours after being inflicted, Rosen suggested.

And there is no hospital record of a nasty arm puncture wound shown in
one of Quigley's home photos, proving it was not inflicted during
police custody, Rosen said.

"Wrong, wrong," Quigley said. "It's an outrageous statement."

Quigley's cross-examination continues Friday.