Since his first day in the witness box, Terry Kilrea has maintained that his first meeting with Larry O’Brien took place on July 12, 2006, one week later than the date he named in the sworn affidavit that spurred investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police.
O’Brien’s defence lawyer Michael Edelson spent much of yesterday attempting to figure out how Kilrea could have been so sure of the dates when he signed the affidavit in December 2007, but also be so sure that he was mistaken almost 17 months later.
“I submit to you, you were reckless in not checking the available documentation in your physical possession which would have permitted you to give a truthful and accurate affidavit,” said Edelson, after suggesting that Kilrea should have confirmed those dates.
According to the affidavit, Kilrea said he received a phone call from O’Brien on July 3, 2006. They met on July 5, and dates of several important subsequent events followed along that timeline.
The OPP investigation resulting from the affidavit resulted in two criminal charges against O’Brien in connection with allegations that he attempted to get Kilrea appointed to the National Parole Board in exchange for Kilrea dropping out of the 2006 mayoral campaign.
Kilrea said that he’s always stated that the dates could have been “a week out,” and said he may not have had access to emails he sent to O’Brien and Ottawa-West Nepean MP John Baird about the incidents.
“I was going off of memory,” said Kilrea. “The affidavit, I still maintain, is correct.”
Yesterday’s proceedings began with Justice Douglas Cunningham ruling that “it was not inappropriate” for Edelson to allege, last Thursday, that Baird told Kilrea that he was not qualified for a parole board appointment when the two met on July 19, 2006.
Kilrea says the parole board appointment never came up. Shortly after Edelson made that assertion, Baird’s office released a statement confirming Kilrea’s version of events.
Kilrea will be back on the stand when the trial resumes this morning.
