Some would say he had it all.
Peter Hodson, a University of British Columbia graduate and varsity basketball star, had a wife and four kids, a coveted position on Vancouver’s police force and a strong reputation in the community for his volunteer efforts.
But it wasn’t enough. Hodson wanted more.
“He needed that rush,” psychologist Dr. Michael Elterman told Judge Gregory Rideout Wednesday during a sentencing hearing for the young ex-cop who pleaded guilty last November to breach of trust and drug trafficking charges.
Hodson, 32, was fired from the Vancouver Police Department in April 2010 after he was caught peddling marijuana, often while on duty, in and around the Downtown Eastside.
According to Prosecutor Joe Bellows, Hodson hired self-confessed drug addict Tyson Pappas to help sell small amounts of marijuana to Downtown Eastside residents.
Elterman, hired by the defence to assess Hodson and write a psychological report before sentencing, presented his findings at Wednesday’s hearing.
He said Hodson had “narcissistic tendencies,” a low tolerance for boredom and a penchant for risk-taking – a “dangerous concoction” that led to his arrest.
Elterman also said young ex-cop appeared to have been bored with his policing job and “had to create his own excitement” – heavy drinking, juggling two extra-marital affairs with a wife and kids at home and selling pot while on duty.
“His motives for join the VPD was excitement and adventure … he was let down by that,” Elterman told the court, recounting some of Hodson’s comments during their four meetings in Spring 2011.
While Hodson’s crimes came as a shock to the Vancouver Police Department, Elterman’s eight-page psychological report revealed a darker side of the once-great varsity athlete.
For Hodson, there was a “constant undercurrent of some resentment about being told what to do and how to live his life,” Elterman said.
Hodson reportedly told Elterman during one meeting that “I got away with cheating, lying and stealing all my life … I thought I always would.”
Elterman said Hodson seemed to have been “unable to stop because of his impulsiveness” and has realized the negative impact of his actions on his family since his arrest.
The psychologist supported defence lawyer Vince Michael’s call for a conditional sentence, stating that Hodson was more likely to benefit from treatment than punishment.”
But Bellows – who is calling for a 3.5-year prison term for Hodson – questioned the validity of Elterman’s report and argued that Hodson was “highly motivated to lie” during his psychological assessment to avoid prison time.
Hodson is scheduled to appear in court July 26 for the Crown and defence’s final day of submissions.
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