A suspended Surrey RCMP officer accused of using his position of authority to engage in intimate relationships with young women — both on and off-duty — will not spend any time behind bars.
Cpl. Peter Leckie pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to three counts of breach of trust for accessing confidential files unrelated to his policing duties, without authorization. He received an 18-month conditional sentence followed by one year of probation at B.C. Provincial Court in Surrey — a sentence sought jointly by the Crown and defence.
“The fact that he’s serving his sentence in the community reflects a fact that has always been known to him and was endorsed by this court today, that he is not a threat to public safety,” Leckie’s lawyer, Garen Arnet-Zargarian, said outside the courthouse Tuesday.
“Cpl. Leckie is now prepared to continue with his rehabilitation, prepared to continue contributing to the community and improving the livelihood and circumstances of others around them.”
A conditional sentence is served outside of jail by the offender and used by a judge if they are satisfied an offender is not a danger to the community and does not have a history of failing to obey court orders.
However, Justice Grace Oh reiterated the seriousness of his offences while reading her sentencing decision.
“Mr. Leckie’s offending was not a matter of a momentary lapse … Mr. Leckie undertook a prolonged, repetitive series of decisions and actions,” she said.
“Over the course of seven years, he maintained two relationships and made approximately 100 inquiries into police databases which he knew were not for legitimate law enforcement or duty-related purposes.”
According to Crown counsel Andrea Kastanis, Leckie abused his power to search police databases for information on a 19-year-old sex worker and her mother. He then showed up at their home under false pretenses in January 2014 to “test the waters” in pursuing a sexual relationship with the teen.
Two of three victims read emotional victim impact statements in court in Surrey at a sentencing hearing last month.
“When you came into my life, I was a lost and broken 19-year-old who was facing tremendous obstacles in her life,” said the former sex worker, who is now 29.
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The victim told the court she had just entered the sex trade and been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and PTSD when she first met Leckie.
“I was in an extremely dark place and you took advantage of that,” said the victim. “You preyed on a young, vulnerable, mentally ill sex worker and for that in lieu of being angry at you — I pity you.”
Leckie has apologized in court, stating last month he was “profoundly sorry.”
“My acts have brought shame upon myself, my profession and the organization I proudly served,” the Mountie read from a written apology.
The 38-year-old said he dedicated 13 years of his life to the RCMP but failed to recognize the toll that service took on his mental health. Diagnosed with PTSD and a major depressive disorder, Leckie told the court that “layers of trauma influenced my actions.”
Arnet-Zargarian has said his client’s guilty pleas spared a lengthy trial and are an “ultimate sign of remorse.” He also submitted letters of support for Leckie, including two from serving RCMP members and one from Leckie’s wife, who believes in second chances and is helping him navigate a new world outside of RCMP.
“This case has included many allegations, many of which he has denied from the outset. Those charges have been stayed and he remains presumptively innocent,” Arnet-Zargarian told Global News.
“There have also been some comments in the media that reflect others’ perspectives about Cpl. Leckie’s actions. Those do not reflect the agreed facts in this case nor do they reflect the conclusion for this judgement.”
While Oh accepted that Leckie was “deeply regretful,” she said he was “deceptive” to his employer and knew of the 19-year-old’s vulnerability, both of which were aggravating factors against him.
“For every occasion when his otherwise described professional integrity, honesty and commitment to justice should have caused him to change his course, he did not,” Oh said Tuesday.
“The reality is that for over half of his RCMP career, he was simultaneously, repeatedly breaching public trust and was hiding a very different aspect of himself that he did not demonstrate to most people.”
Leckie will serve the first six months of his 18-month conditional sentence under house arrest, permitted to leave twice a day for up to 10 minutes each time to walk his dog within 20 metres of the Langley home. For that time, his curfew will be 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Other conditions include remaining in B.C. throughout his sentence unless the departure has been pre-approved and a prohibition from consuming alcohol or drugs. Leckie must also not attend any RCMP detachment without advance permission unless it’s to comply with his sentencing conditions or an emergency. He is further prohibited from contacting the victims.
Leckie remains suspended without pay from the RCMP and in June, will face a code of conduct board for internal discipline that could include his dismissal.
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