Women warned not to discuss case of ex-police officer: Witness

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Two women accusing a former London police officer of sexual and physical violence were told at least five times not to discuss the case between them.

“I made it very clear that they were not to talk to each other about the investigations,” London Const. Amanda Corsaut, an investigating officer, said Thursday at the Ontario Court trial of Will Stephens.

However, Justice George Orsini has heard, despite the officer’s warnings that began when the investigation was opened in late November 2022, the two complainants have remained friends and one of them told Corsaut in January 2023 that Stephens had sent the other woman an intimate image of her.

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In cross-examination during Corsaut’s testimony, defence lawyer Cassandra DeMelo reviewed the officer’s notes from Jan. 30, 2023, where she wrote she had an email from one of the complainants that said “recently I found out that Will sent my naked pix to others” and “(the other complainant) can prove that because she got my pic from him.”

The woman wanted to know if they could use it to charge Stephens with sharing an intimate image without her permission.

The woman thought the photos Stephens sent out were of her completely nude. Both women said they had difficulty locating the image, but, a couple weeks later, the other woman produced a screen shot of a text exchange with Stephens with an undated photo of the first complainant partially disrobed.

Stephens, 47, who was formerly Stephen Williams before he changed his name, has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges involving three female complainants including sexual assault, distributing an intimate image without consent and criminal harassment.

He left the police service in October 2021 after walking out of a professional misconduct hearing. Before that he had been suspended with pay after he was charged with sexual assault and harassment involving an ex-girlfriend while he was off-duty.

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Stephens received a conditional discharge and 12 months of probation in 2019 after he pleaded guilty to making a harassing phone call and two counts of breaching his release conditions.

The Crown closed its case on Thursday and the defence opted to call no evidence.

Orsini already has heard Stephens was intimately involved with all three women at the same time without them knowing. Their identities are protected by court order.

They have testified they were physically and psychologically harmed by the former cop during their turbulent relationships. One of the complainants described how Stephens would show up at her home uninvited and there were instances when he ripped off her clothing in public.

Another complainant testified Stephens choked her to unconsciousness three or four times during sex and left a bruise on her neck. She said Stephens told her he was a sex addict and was going out on three to five dates a week with various women.

Coursat said she investigated the allegations brought by two of the three complainants. She interviewed the first complainant in mid-November 2022 and was told by her she only learned of Stephens’ previous identity and occupation because of media coverage of his first case.

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Stephens, the complainant said, hadn’t been at her home since October 2022; she broke off the relationship the previous month. Their relationship started well, she said, but he would sometimes be rough with her. She had never sought medical attention but produced a photo that showed her legs bruised.

Corsaut laid the charges against Stephens in relation to the first complainant and was told there was a second woman to interview. Initially, the second complainant said she didn’t want to lay any charges.

Later in November 2022, the second complainant , who said she was choked by Stephens during sex, changed her mind and spoke to Corsaut. She said she didn’t want to communicate with him, but would sometimes unblock his number and social media contacts.

DeMelo pointed out Corsaut put in her notes the second complainant offered other women’s names for her to contact, but the officer didn’t speak to them.

Orsini also heard the rest of DeMelo’s cross-examination of the woman who said Stephens choked and harassed her. Her testimony was that three weeks in the fall of 2022, before she talked to the police, were “scary” and she was “terrified” of Stephens.

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But, in a text conversation with Stephens on the TikTok app, after the woman had discovered Stephens was involved with the two other women and had similar experiences with him, she wrote, “It upsets me, too. But frankly, I’ve never been scared of you. I’m basing everything off my own experiences.”

DeMelo said it showed the woman wasn’t scared of Stephens. “That’s not true,” she said, calling the messages “traumatizing” and she had blocked him on all other platforms except that one.

In re-examination by assistant Crown attorney Nicole Soehner, when asked about other messages to Stephens where the complainant said she “loved” all aspects of their intimacy, the woman replied she was “very prone to love-bombing and wanting to be close.”

Closing submissions by the Crown and defence are slated for Oct. 28.

jsims@postmedia.com

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