Latest news with #Halifax
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Closing arguments heard in case of Halifax dentist, 82, accused of slapping child patients
A judge will rule in November whether a Halifax-area dentist is guilty of assaulting child patients decades ago, parsing opposing arguments made this week by the prosecution and defence over the reliability of testimony and the role a Facebook group may have played. Dr. Errol Gaum, 82, appeared in Halifax provincial court Monday for final submissions in his trial, which heard evidence over several days in May. He is accused of slapping patients when they were children, with the earliest allegation dating back to 1970. Defence lawyer Nick Fitch argued the charges should be dismissed. He questioned whether the "events" even occurred and, if they did, whether Gaum was the dentist who inflicted them. Even if he was, it was "done to protect the child from harm." "Pediatric dentists are a specialist dentist that is referred the most difficult patients. These are children with behavioural issues that fight, bite, kick and are often sedated," Fitch said in his written submissions. "There is no doubt that dentistry of combative children, particularly when these matters occurred, was not pretty. It is easy to imagine why a child may interpret an experience that involves pain, scary tools, restriction and harsh tones as an assault." Gaum was charged in early 2022, a little more than a year after his licence was suspended after allegations of misconduct emerged, including that he used excessive force while treating child patients. The defence has raised concerns about the role of a Facebook group about Gaum set up in the wake of the allegations being made public, with some witnesses testifying to being active on the page. It included photos of Gaum, and there were discussions about litigation. Judge Elizabeth Buckle, who has reserved her decision in the case for Nov. 20, said the issue is whether there was inadvertent "tainting" in the case. The court heard testimony from six alleged former patients. Gaum is formally charged with assaulting four of them, with two others giving "similar fact evidence." Prosecutor Stephen Anstey argued that evidence from each alleged victim corroborates the others. Each testified that Gaum became angry while treating them and then slapped them across the face. Five of the six testified he told them to "shut up." Anstey said the testimony of each has "striking similarities," even though they described events at different points during the 1970s and 1980s, and he argued the witnesses are telling the same story because they are "telling the truth." He argued their recollections of what happened were not affected by stories they read in the news or on Facebook about other people's experiences with Gaum. He said there's no evidence to support the idea any of them fabricated their stories or are motivated by money. "Each of our witnesses testified that while they had seen other stories online, it had not changed what had happened," Anstey said outside the courtroom. "The vast majority of our witnesses further testified that prior to this story coming out in 2020, they had told other people about this beforehand. And our argument is that you can't make up something from seeing a story in 2020 if you've told somebody about it prior to 2020." Gaum faced five assault charges at the beginning of trial. But the Crown dropped the prosecution of one because of issues surrounding the particular date of the alleged assault and provisions in the Criminal Code at the time.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Former West Yorkshire PC admits three misconduct charges
A former West Yorkshire Police officer has pleaded guilty to three counts of misconduct in a public Yamin, 30, admitted the offences at Bradford Crown Court on denied a further 10 counts of misconduct in a public office, which are said to have taken place between November 2019 and May 2022 while he was working in Yamin, of Branksome Grove, in Shipley, has been released on bail ahead of his trial, which has been scheduled for 10 August 2026. The court heard the three charges he admitted related to allowing and facilitating unauthorised access to a police computer and sharing police information with further charges include an allegation he had offered to supply police batons in May Yamin resigned from the force in 2023. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
One of four people charged in death of Ahmad Al Marrach found guilty of manslaughter
Ahmad Maher Al Marrach, who was fatally stabbed in a parking garage near the Halifax Shopping Centre on April 22, 2024, is pictured. (Source: Facebook) Judge Elizabeth Buckle found one of four people charged in the stabbing death of Halifax high school student Ahmad Al Marrach guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday. More to come. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
7 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Residents want MAGA musician's concert at Parks Canada historic site cancelled
Social Sharing Some residents are calling on Parks Canada to cancel a performance by a U.S. singer and rising star in the MAGA movement at a national historic site near Halifax this week. Christian rocker Sean Feucht has a concert scheduled at the York Redoubt National Historic Site on Wednesday night. Feucht, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. congress as a Republican in 2020, is also a missionary and an author who has spoken out against the 2SLGBTQ+ community, abortion rights and critical race theory on his website. "What I want to know is how this got approved in the first place," said Larry Stewart, who lives in Fergusons Cove, a small community next to the historical site. Stewart is one of several residents who have voiced opposition to the planned concert, which they said goes against Parks Canada's guiding principles of inclusion and safety for all visitors. "It's completely inappropriate," said Eleanor Kure, a longtime resident of the area. Feucht has called for government policy in the United States to be based on traditional Christian values in the midst of a "spiritual war" in that country. His website calls on young people to stand up against the "progressive agenda being forced upon America." The concert at the York Redoubt site on Wednesday kicks off a national tour Feucht said marks the "Summer of Revival in the nation of Canada." "I think it's very upsetting," said resident Nancy Hunter. Feucht did not respond to a request for comment from CBC News. MP urges Parks Canada to cancel The residents who spoke to CBC News said they've never seen a concert being held at York Redoubt National Historic Site before. They said they only learned about the event after Parks Canada sent out an email over the weekend warning residents about potential noise and parking issues. Parks Canada did not respond before deadline to questions about how the concert came to be scheduled. Shannon Miedema, the Liberal MP for the area, declined an interview request. In an email to a resident that was provided to CBC News, Miedema said she's urging Parks Canada to cancel the concert after hearing from several constituents. "I have the utmost respect for the value of free speech, I do not believe this event aligns with Parks Canada's core values of respect for people, equity, diversity and inclusion, or integrity," the email read. The statement said Miedema is working with the appropriate parties to try to ensure the concert doesn't proceed. If it does go ahead, residents said they'll protest the event. "I'll be there. Maybe with the Canadian flag. Maybe with a Pride flag," said Stewart.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bereaved dad climbs Greek mountain 50 times
A Halifax man has completed two extraordinary physical challenges, amounting to 170 miles (274km), in memory of his baby daughter. Ben Moorhouse walked non-stop from the Angel of the North in Gateshead to Manchester on 12 July, before boarding a plane a week later to the Greek island of Rhodes, where he climbed a mountain 50 times over the course of 13 hours. The 42-year-old's daughter, Kallipateira, was stillborn at 37 weeks in 2018. Mr Moorhouse, who has raised more than £13,000 from the challenge, said he wanted to open up conversations around baby loss to help other grieving parents. The money raised will go to Tommy's Rainbow Clinic in Manchester to fund research into preventing stillbirths. Mr Moorhouse's partner Gaynor Thomson gave birth to their son Apollon there in 2020. Mr Moorhouse said he managed to complete both challenges with the help of some "Yorkshire grit and determination". He said: "It was a massive mental test, but we managed to get through both. "At the moment there's a Greek heatwave so temperatures were 40C and above. "There was no shade whatsoever. "It was absolutely brutal. "My feet were aching quite a bit last night and my knee was swollen. "But compared to what some people in the world are dealing with, it's trivial. "The power of love for my daughter kept me going when the going got tough. "I just reminded myself why I was doing it." Mr Moorhouse is no stranger to extreme physical challenges, having completed several over the last decade. But his preparation for this task was complicated by injury, as he damaged cruciate ligaments in his right knee just nine weeks beforehand, hampering his training plans. He could not even walk in a straight line until four weeks beforehand. But despite suffering "severe cramps" in his calf on Prophet Elias Monastery Mountain, he managed to complete his 50th and final ascent just after 19:00 local time (17:00 BST) on Sunday. Mr Moorhouse, who works for a housing association, said: "I don't very often say I'm proud of myself because I'm quite humble about what I do, but I gave myself a pat on the back when I finished, because it's been a tough year with injury." He and Miss Thomson set up the Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation to fund the research at Tommy's Rainbow Clinic, which they said would benefit parents across the UK. The clinic offers specialist care for women who have suffered a previous stillbirth or neonatal death. Mr Moorhouse said the subject of stillbirths was often "brushed under the carpet" and that friends and neighbours of grieving parents often struggled to know how to help. "To put yourself in that person's shoes, I understand, is such a difficult thing to do," he said. "But this happens every single day to parents all around the UK. "You don't have to have a big conversation about what's happened, just a simple acknowledgement to say, 'I'm thinking of you, I'm here if you need anything'. "Not saying something is far worse than saying something you think is wrong." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Related stories Father takes on walking goal in daughter's memory A baby loss certificate would be 'powerful validation of grief' Bereaved dads given support in 'macho' industry Related internet links Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation Solve the daily Crossword
