Alberta Mountie disciplined for telling colleague she was 'trash' for reporting a sexual assault

An Alberta RCMP constable has admitted to harassment and discreditable conduct for telling a fellow officer she was a "money-chasing piece of trash" for filing a formal sexual assault complaint against another Mountie.

Const. Robert Jonathon Sinnott of the Strathcona County detachment has been sanctioned under the RCMP code of conduct for sending a series of disparaging text messages to his female colleague.

He sent her the messages two days before she testified about a sexual assault she had allegedly suffered at the hands of another RCMP member.

In a decision Wednesday, RCMP conduct board member Kevin Harrison, who presided over the hearing, imposed a series of penalties on Sinnott, who admitted to the misconduct.  

Sinnott has been docked 25 days' pay and will be ineligible for promotion for two years. He must complete anti-harassment training and submit a formal letter of apology.

The female constable, who has since retired, had made a formal complaint alleging sexual assault in March 2019. The complaint led to an internal RCMP probe and an investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), Alberta's police watchdog.

Sinnott wrote to the female constable in November 2022, two days before she was scheduled to testify at a code of conduct hearing for another RCMP member who also served at the Strathcona County detachment, east of Edmonton. 

In the unsolicited texts, Sinnott disparaged the woman, describing her as a member who wanted "to kamikaze everyone" and "cry wolf" on other officers.

"Godspeed and good luck this week. Whatever happens, just know that the majority of people know that you're trash," Sinnott wrote.

"Everyone sees you for what you are."

The conduct board found that Sinnott's messages interfered with the review process by insinuating the female constable was lying and causing her to fear for her safety. CBC is not naming the woman due to the nature of her allegations.

Sinnott told the woman that her colleagues believed she was "full of shit" and said she should be ashamed of making an accusation against a superior officer. 

"Take note of the fact that most everyone thinks you're a money-chasing piece of trash," Sinnott wrote.

Sinnott had been suspended with pay from the RCMP since December 2022. 

He could have faced dismissal but on Wednesday the review board found that his remorse, medical history and otherwise clean record means he should be allowed back on the job.

Sinnott had acute mental health issues at the time of the incident and is unlikely to reoffend, but that does not absolve him of the harm he caused, Harrison said.

Sinnott's words tarnished the reputation of the RCMP and undermined the female constable's testimony, Harrison said.

"It's difficult enough for victims of harassment and sexual harassment to come forward," Harrison said. 

"Complainants in any conduct process should not have to fear repercussions from anyone." 

Sexual assault allegation

The female constable's sexual assault claim was subject to a pair of investigations, but no charges were ever laid.  

In a statement, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) said an ASIRT investigation concluded that the accused officer's actions "may have constituted an offence." But the Crown declined to pursue the sexual assault case.

"ACPS assessed the evidence collected and determined that while there may have been actions that would constitute an offence, any such charges would not meet the prosecution threshold of having a reasonable likelihood of conviction," the Crown said.

In a statement to CBC, ASIRT executive director Michael Ewenson said the sexual assault investigation concluded without charges. 

"While most ASIRT investigations are concluded with a public report, those that are deemed not to be in the public interest are concluded without a public report, such as this one."

Ewenson declined to provide CBC access to the document.

RCMP said the sexual assault allegation was subject to an internal review but the allegation was withdrawn at the conduct hearing.

"The board was not able to make a decision, and no record of decision was made public," RCMP officials said in a statement.

Sinnott's code of conduct hearing heard that the female constable's credibility had been called into question at the separate hearing into the sexual assault allegation before her complaint was withdrawn.

"Ultimately, sir, she was not believed," John Benkendorf, Sinnott's lawyer, said during Sinnott's code of conduct proceedings Tuesday.

"It's hard to disentangle how much of her anger and her struggles that followed the hearing relates to what Const. Sinnott did, and how much related to the matter being withdrawn … due to her evidence being deemed less than credible."

'Things blew up'

The woman, now 58, said she and Sinnott were once friends and worked closely together at the Strathcona County detachment.

But she said the relationship became strained after her sexual assault allegation became widely known.

She said the ordeal has left her struggling with anxiety, depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

She said she handed in her badge last week and is now medically retired after more than three decades on the force.

"Things blew up," she said during her testimony. "And so began the onslaught of six-plus years of harassment, ostracization and gossip."

The woman said Sinnott's messages have left her feeling fearful and betrayed. 

 "For him to reach out like that, it was disgusting," she said through tears. 

'No calculated motivation' 

Benkendorf, Sinnott's lawyer, said his client had "no calculated motivation" for the messages he wrote.

He described the messages as an act of pure anger — a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder that Sinnott developed after exposure to stress on the job.

Benkendorf said his client has an exemplary service record and that the messages were nothing more than a manifestation of an underlying medical issue.

"This was something that was completely out of character for him." 

Sinnott told the hearing he was suffering from declining mental health at the time due to a recent change in his medication.

On that night, he had just had a horrible argument with his wife and was "in the red" with anger. He said he lashed out at his colleague in a misguided attempt to make himself feel better.

"It would be very odd for a person to reach out in the manner that I did if they were of sound mind," he said. "I was not myself."

Sinnott said he has since sought additional treatment for PTSD and has learned how to better manage his symptoms. 

"I'm deeply embarrassed when I look back at what can happen when I let myself go off the rails … this was the lowest of lows."

He apologized to the colleague he harassed. She did not accept his apology.  

The woman described Sinnott's actions as vengeful and manipulative. She said his misconduct has undermined efforts to address issues of harassment and discrimination within the RCMP.

"It speaks to your weakness as a police officer and a human being. You chose yourself as  judge and jury," she told the hearing.

"You are not deserving of the uniform."