A former 樱桃视频resident is seeking a restraining order against a local RCMP officer - her former common-law husband - who is facing an internal investigation by the force after allegations he stalked the woman while on duty.
Const. Steve Small, who is currently suspended from all duties with the 樱桃视频RCMP, had been charged with criminal harassment of Angel Newman.
Small was arrested last August in relation to Newman's complaints. He made a series of court appearances that were subject to a ban on publication of the evidence.
At a hearing on April 1, Crown counsel decided to enter a stay of proceedings, as it was felt the evidence in the case would likely not lead to a conviction.
The charges can be revived if new evidence surfaces against Small within the next year.
The court had issued a restraining order prohibiting Small from contacting Newman and three of her former co-workers. The order also prevented Small from possessing weapons.
The stay of proceedings means the restraining order is no longer in effect, and Newman is now looking for a new restraining order.
She expects to make a court appearance next week in a bid to convince a judge to issue an order against Small.
"I'm making sure he can't have any access to my kids," Newman said. "The only thing I'm asking for is for him to be kept away from my kids and for him not to have custody."
According to Newman, Small made her life very difficult between March and August of 2004 by frequently trying to talk to her despite her wish to have no contact.
She and Small moved to 樱桃视频in February of 2003 when Small accepted a work transfer from Sparwood. The couple met in Sparwood while Small was stationed there. Newman had two children from a previous relationship.
When Small was transferred to 樱桃视频Newman and her children moved into a house in Brackendale with Small.
The relationship between Small and Newman soured and in March of last year she decided to move out.
Newman said by June, Small started contacting her frequently. He wanted to talk to her about their relationship but she said she didn't want to have anything to do with him.
With a few weeks still left in the school year, Newman decided to pull her kids out of school and move the kids to another community.
Newman came back to 樱桃视频to continue her work as a flagger and first aid attendant at a highway construction project north of Squamish.
Newman tried to distance herself from Small but she alleges he was persistent with his efforts. She said he left messages for her on her voice mail, he sent text messages to her cell phone and he visited her work site.
His visits to her work site became problematic.
"I was always in trouble at my work site," she said. "We would have to shut down the work site and someone would have to go and kick him off the site."
For two months she tried to hide from Small. Newman lived at Paradise Valley Campground in a travel trailer owned by one of her co-workers.
Newman said she felt she was being harassed and decided to call Small's RCMP supervisor and complain. Newman said Small continued to visit her job site and the text messages and voice mail messages kept coming so she decided to complain to the RCMP's E-Division headquarters in Vancouver.
The Chief reached Small on Tuesday (April 26) and requested an interview. Small declined to answer any questions.
The RCMP is saying very little about Small's situation.
Sgt. Colin Worth of the 樱桃视频RCMP detachment deferred comment to the force's Vancouver head office.
"The verdict of the criminal charge was a stay of proceedings," Cpl. Anthony Choy of the E-Division Strategic Communications Centre in Vancouver told The Chief. "Currently there is an internal investigation being conducted and therefore we do not discuss any details of that investigation."
Despite the stay of proceedings, Choy said Small's suspension with pay continues.
Newman's fear of her former common-law husband is so great that she said she wouldn't enter the courthouse if Small shows up at the hearing. She said she would send her lawyer in to represent her.
"I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't get a restraining order," Newman said. "I haven't even thought about that yet."
