Mother tells Regina court her ex, accused of abducting their child, was opposed to COVID-19 vaccines

The trial of a Carievale, Sask., man charged with abduction after he allegedly failed to return his seven-year-old daughter to the care of her mother in 2021 began this week in Regina.

COVID-19 vaccination emerged as an issue on Tuesday, the second day of Michael Gordon Jackson's jury trial at Regina Court of King's Bench. Jackson has pleaded not guilty.

The girl's mother, who is estranged from the accused, testified Tuesday that Jackson was opposed to the COVID vaccine and did not want his daughter to receive the shots.

The mother said she met Jackson at a diner while waitressing in 2013. They started dating and were married five months later. Their daughter was born a year after they met.

The mother said she left Jackson in December 2016 after three and a half years of marriage and took her daughter to live with her in Regina.

Under their agreement, they would have joint custody, but the mother would have the final decision in health and education matters, she said.

The mother had primary custody, but Jackson would get the daughter on Easter holidays, spring break, family week and certain long weekends. She said that for one of those long weekend visits, in November 2021, Jackson was supposed to pick their daughter up from school in Regina and bring her back five days later.

That didn't happen, she testified.

Mother says accused sent links to anti-vaccine videos

The mother testified that for several days, Jackson would send her links on COVID-19 vaccinations and ask her opinion on vaccinations.

She said she was driving to Carievale to pick up her daughter and received a text message from Jackson saying he "wasn't going to play games" and that she needed to provide a letter stating she would not vaccinate their daughter before he would return the girl to her mother.

In February 2022, the mother obtained an affidavit stating she would not vaccinate their daughter.

"I made the letter so I could see my daughter," she testified.

Despite the letter, Jackson did not return the girl, the mother said.

Police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Jackson's arrest.

On February 22, 2022, the mother heard from RCMP that they had found her daughter and arrested Jackson. She was then flown to the Vernon RCMP detachment, where she was reunited with her daughter. They came home the next day.

Jackson is representing himself at trial with the help of a "friend of the court" who assists him with procedure.

Jackson cross-examined the mother Tuesday. Under his questioning, she confirmed that she knew how "passionate" he was about vaccinations and that he didn't want their daughter getting COVID shots.

The trial, which is happening before Justice Heather MacMillan-Brown and a jury, is expected to last two weeks.