Police misconduct trials begin: Morriseau testifies against Walbourne
| This article is part of an ongoing series documenting the criminal trials of former high-ranking members of the Thunder Bay Police Service. Here’s what we know so far: Background (“The HomeSense Investigation”) Trial of TBPS lawyer Holly Walbourne • April 13: Morriseau testifies against Walbourne • April 14: Walbourne defense seeks clarity: “This is uncharted” • April 14: Private notebook teased in first day of deputy chiefs testimony • April 15: Deputy chief’s testimony builds timeline of events The trial of TBPS police chief Sylvie Hauth is scheduled for May 5 |
Georjann Morriseau, the former chair of the Thunder Bay Police Services Board, was the first to testify against former TBPS lawyer Holly Walbourne Monday afternoon.
Walbourne faces charges of obstructing a peace officer, breach of trust, and three counts of obstruction of justice. She plead not guilty to all charges.
She was charged in the same case as former Thunder Bay police chief Sylvie Hauth. Walbourne and Hauth are accused of downplaying their involvement in “The HomeSense Investigation” into Morriseau after the provincial police board took over the case.
On the stand, Morriseau described her experience in the summer and fall of 2020 while the TBPS investigated to determine the masked HomeSense officer who “gossiped” to her about a potential leak of confidential information.
She testified that when she reported the HomeSense incident to Deputy Chief Ryan Hughes, she believed she was simply relaying an odd interaction, but that he treated the matter far more seriously than she had anticipated.
She said she felt “rather scared and frustrated” at the repeated questioning that followed, and that it eroded her trust with the police force.
According to her report with the OPP, Morriseau reached out to Chief Hauth in September 2020 to tell her she should she was being “interrogated constantly.” Hauth did not respond, but a few days later Holly Walbourne visited Morriseau at her house.
Morriseau testified that Walbourne confirmed her suspicions that internal investigators believed she was lying or concealing information, but added she personally did not believe Morriseau would lie to protect anyone.
“I think once the meeting at my house (with Walbourne) took place, I was feeling more and more that there’s something else happening in the background here in terms of why I am continually being interrogated here,” Morriseau said. “I felt like I had to watch my back everywhere I turn.”
By this point, Morriseau was still just a witness in the HomeSense investigation. That changed November 2020, when Detective Rybak revealed to Deputy Chief Ryan Hughes that Morriseau told him his name came up in questioning. That is when she became the subject of an internal criminal investigation for breach of trust. The investigation was transferred to the OPP in December of 2020.
On December 3, Morriseau sent an email to Hauth and Inspector Gordon Snyder saying she had nothing more to say about the issue, and that she felt the investigation had been “retaliation” for work she had done in the board.
Morriseau testified that she didn’t know she had been under criminal investigation until a board meeting about Sylvie Hauth’s summary memoranda on October 2021, three months after the OPP cleared her of all charges.
Walbourne, Hauth and Hughes were all present at that meeting, but Morriseau testified she couldn’t recall details like who led the presentation or what exactly was said as “tensions were high” and she was “in shock.”
That concluded Morriseau’s testimony. Ryan Hughes testified on Tuesday and Wednesday to detail his version of events.
None of the allegations against Walbourne have been proven in court.
