By Tiffany Goodwein

Lawyers argue over evidence at Sagmoen trial

Dec 5, 2019 | 2:51 PM

The trial resumed for 38-year-old Curtis Sagmoen in B.C. Supreme Court in Vernon Thursday.

Sagmoen is accused of five charges stemming from a 2017 incident in Falkland where it’s alleged he threatened a sex worker with a gun.

The trial is currently paused to permit voir dire hearings to determine evidence admissibility.

Today Sagmoen’s lawyer, Lisa Helps, presented arguments which questioned information police used to obtain a search warrant. Helps argues there is no connection between the alleged crime and the location police searched.

Helps is also questioning the objectivity of police and witness statements provided in an affidavit.

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Witness statements conducted by police, Helps argued, were influenced by neighbors and small-town gossip and were not a firsthand account.

“No description of Mr. Sagmoen is given by any police officer at any time during this affidavit,” Helps said.

Defence arguments concluded late in the afternoon and the crown is expected to continue their submissions Friday.

by Tiffany Goodwein

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