Saskatoon police constable guilty of obstructing justice

SASKATOON- A highly anticipated verdict was handed down Thursday afternoon at Saskatoon provincial court. Const. Steven Nelson, a nine-year member of the Saskatoon Police Service, has been found guilty of obstructing justice.

Nelson, 33, was accused of deliberately misplacing a victim impact statement between August 2012 and October 2013. The father of three had pleaded not guilty to the charge and has been suspended with pay since last fall.

He will be sentenced on Aug. 14.

During the two-day trial in April, court heard from four Crown witnesses including the woman at the centre of it all. Melony Johnson testified that she made statement to Const. Nelson on August 12th, 2012 regarding an alleged domestic dispute.

Johnson testified that she made the whole alleged assault up and called Nelson the next day, saying she wanted to recant her story. Despite Nelson telling her it wasn’t necessary, she went to police headquarters anyway to say she didn’t want to proceed with charges and to retract her statement.

It’s this second statement that mysteriously disappeared and led to Nelson’s charge of attempting to obstruct justice charge.

On the front desk that evening was Const. Tyler Melnychuk with the special investigation unit. He testified in court that he contacted Nelson, who was on duty about this second statement.

“That can be ripped up,” said Nelson, explaining to Melnychuk that he had already told the woman the charges could not be dropped.

An audio recording of this discussion between the two constables was played in court.

The constable told court he did not do as Nelson advised and handed the statement to him upon his return to the station to proceed with further follow-up.

Melnychuk told court he had no intention of ripping up the statement especially at the request of another officer. He was also concerned that the accused in the alleged domestic dispute was still “arrestable” for a charge he didn’t commit.

Prior to this charge, Nelson had no blemishes on his record. He is not believed to have known either person involved in the alleged domestic dispute.

During the trial, Nelson took the stand in his own defence and repeatedly told the court he didn’t remember details in relation to the second statement.

READ MORE: Saskatoon police officer testifies at his obstructing justice trial

Nelson said three things might have happened to a witness statement that vanished without a trace.

He submitted it for scanning and it was attached to the wrong file, he put it in his personal bin and it went missing or he threw in the trash either by accident or out of frustration, if it was even in his possession at all.

Details of his conversation with Melnychuk or the woman earlier that day are another thing Nelson said he doesn’t recall. Nelson also admitted he did not make any further notes on the case or file another police report despite the new evidence.

Nelson testified he would never intentionally misplace or destroy a piece of evidence and there was nothing medically wrong with him that would hinder his ability to remember things.

Charges in relation to the domestic dispute were stayed and police are unable to withdraw a charge once it’s been laid.