THERE'S BIG JOY IN HELLS JURY BOX

High-Fives And Smiles As Evidence Finally Ends

JURORS exchanged high-fives and big smiles Friday after learning they
had just heard from the final witness in the marathon trial against
full-patch Hells Angels member Ian Grant.

The spontaneous celebration brought laughs throughout the court, where
such displays are rarely, if ever, seen.

"After more than two months, it's not a surprise they'd feel that
way," said Queen's Bench Justice John Scurfield.

Jurors ended up sitting a total of 37 days, hearing from 43 witnesses
and viewing more than 150 eye-opening exhibits. It was one of the
longest and most comprehensive trials in recent Manitoba history.

There were several tension-filled days when machine-gun-toting police
officers were stationed outside the court to provide extra security
for career-criminal-turned-police-agent Franco Atanasovic, who was
paid $525,000 to infiltrate the local Hells Angels chapter.

Atanasovic's work resulted in 15 arrests, including Grant, and several
criminal transactions being caught on audio and video surveillance.

Police also seized many revealing documents, including internal police
e-mails, prison profiles of rival gang members and the names and
telephone numbers of Hells Angels members around the world.

Jurors can't relax too much yet -- the hard part is still ahead of them.

The Crown will make closing submissions on Monday, followed on Tuesday
by defence lawyer Ian Garber, who chose not to call any evidence.

Deliberations will likely begin on Thursday.

Jurors will have to decide on nine different charges against Grant,
including extortion, drug trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime
and participating in a criminal organization.

The final Crown witness, RCMP Staff Sgt. Jacques Lemieux, was grilled
on cross-examination Friday about the inner workings of the Hells
Angels, the world's most notorious outlaw motorcycle gang.

Lemieux, who is head of the RCMP drug section in Ottawa, said not
every biker is involved in crime and even those who are may be working
for themselves and not the greater good of the gang.

However, Lemieux rejected suggestions from Garber that the evidence in
this case shows an "every man for himself" mentality.

He said the alleged extortion committed by Grant, in which he was
caught during surveillance threatening a police agent over a $60,000
debt, seems to suggest a team approach.

"It's my opinion the collection of this debt benefited several members
of the club," said Lemieux, who named Hells president Ernie Dew as one
of those individuals.

That is considered a key area for the jury's focus, as they must find
Grant was involved in crime for the benefit of the Hells Angels in
order to convict him on the criminal-organization charge.

Garber also took aim at Lemieux's suggestion that Hells members are
rolling in the cash, noting surveillance taken of Dew paints a very
different picture.

"I don't even have two cents to buy a new battery for my bike," Dew is
caught on tape telling the police agent, Franco Atanasovic.

"I put 20 (expletive) years into this club. What have I got out of it?
Nothing," he says during another conversation.

On Thursday, Lemieux told court that becoming a full-patch member "is
just like winning the lottery."

Garber also directed Lemieux to evidence that shows some Hells
members, including Grant, seemingly worked against each other by
offering the agent better prices on drug deals.

Lemieux maintained they all reap the rewards in the end.

"Everybody would benefit from the commission of these crimes," he said
Friday.