A group of police officers were found guilty on Friday for misappropriating CPS computers to further their own work at a private investigation firm and criminally harassing a woman involved in a custody battle with her partner.
A judge found that Bradford McNish, Bryan Morton and Anthony Braille all accessed computers owned by the Calgary Police Service while they worked for a private investigation firm known as Walton and Walton.
Braille and Morton were found guilty on all of the counts against them while McNish was found not guilty of bribery but guilty on the other three charges against him.
The officers were originally charged in June 2016 when it was found that Walton and Walton’s owner, retired CPS officer Stephen Walton, hired the trio and then asked them to dig up information while his company worked with businessman Ken Carter to investigate his ex-wife Akele Taylor.
The court heard that all three officers pocketed thousands for their work monitoring the movements of Taylor.
Braille was dismissed by the CPS shortly before the charges were laid because of his role in an unrelated high-speed chase.
Following the charges, Morton and McNish were put on leave without pay.
A date for sentencing will be set next month.
Another trial, for Stephen Walton and his wife Heather and Ken Taylor is scheduled to take place in September.
Les Kaminski, president of the Calgary Police Association, said the agency would not comment on the case because the convictions came from activities outside the execution of the officers’ lawful duties.
(With files from Ina Sidhu)
