The latest chapter in the legal battles Sunshine Coast couple Michelle and Doug Sikora over their S&M Sweet Shoppe cannabis edibles has seen police and prosecution in contempt of court for refusing to comply with an earlier order.
Doug Sikora said in July the court ordered police to return copies of journals seized from the couple that Sikora said they needed for their defence.
“The judge said the RCMP had two weeks to get copies of those four years of journals they had of mine and get the copies to me and my wife and get the originals to the crown so evidence couldn’t be tampered with,” Sikora said.
A half hour before the deadline to return the documents expired, the Sikoras went to collect the documents.
The file clerk on duty went to the back to speak with the constables and, when she returned, said the police would return the journal copies in the next week.
“We looked at her and said ‘excuse me, you have 20 minutes, it’s a court order,” Sikora said. “She came back out, and not only did she bring us the originals, she gave us a box of business cards back.”
Sikora said he believes that authorities didn’t bother to make the copies because they didn’t think the couple would try to collect them on time, now, according to Sikora, all of the evidence collected from the journals will be thrown out.
After being directed by a judge to bring up contempt charges, yesterday, the couple proceeded to serve the RCMP notice.
“Me and Michelle had Christmas early, we went and served constable Newman and constable Mohr at the RCMP station,” Sikora said. “They were very, very unhappy campers.”
An hour and half later an RCMP vehicle drove up their street and began taking photos of the Sikoras’ van, which they had previously been ordered to modify to remove their S&M Sweet Shoppe logo and business website information, which they had complied with.
Doug Sikora said he thinks this is the RCMP’s attempt to retaliate.
“They’re digging, they’re scratching,” he said. “They’re wasting taxpayers’ money, and harassing us in our home.”
Sikora estimated that the entire six-month investigation has spent over $200,000 in public money.
In April, Sechelt mayor Bruce Milne said Sunshine Coast RCMP shouldn’t focus on cannabis enforcement.
“I think there should be a note to the RCMP not in terms of their priorities, but what should not be a priority,” Milne said. “There are laws of the land that are currently under review and changing as we speak on the advice of the prime minister, and I would think that those laws as they affect adults in the community should not be a priority of the RCMP.”
Sikora said the couple, who have been representing themselves since the charges were laid, will be soon headed to Vancouver to serve the crown prosecutor.
“The crown prosecutor might try to blame the RCMP, and then it might be a pissing match between the crown prosecutor and the RCMP because, one of them for sure, is getting contempt of court,” he said. “Our little case is going to be setting a lot of precedence in a lot of other cases, I do believe we have a little bit of history coming up with me and Michelle and our case.”