Video contradicts witnesses in trial of Sudbury police officer accused of threatening kid hockey player

The trial of a Sudbury police officer who allegedly threatened to break the ankles of a 13-year-old hockey player after a game in Espanola resumed on Thursday. 

Melisa Rancourt took the stand in her own defence and presented a very different version of events than the one described by two key Crown witnesses.

All parties agree the game on Feb. 11, 2024 between Espanola and Walden was close and heated, and that a Walden player skated past the Espanola team bench and blew a kiss after scoring a goal.

Rancourt, who is the head coach of the Espanola team, told the court it was the latest in a series of unsportsmanlike behaviour from the Walden team that involved racial slurs, inappropriate bodychecks and taunting. 

She said she tried to bring this to the attention of the referee several times during the game and was ignored. 

After the game was over, she said she headed to the Walden team's dressing room to discuss her concerns with their coaches.

"I often have conversations with coaches after games to discuss what has gone on," she told the court, adding she had ten years of coaching experience. 

"My role is to educate players and make sure they understand the rules of the game." 

Rancourt says she warned player about unsportsmanlike conduct

Rancourt said she couldn't find the Walden coaches, and decided to briefly speak to a young player before heading back to her own team's dressing room.

She maintained she told that young player: "Tell your teammate that if he's going to blow kisses by the bench he should make sure the referee doesn't see because it's unsportsmanlike conduct." 

On the first day of the trial last September, the young player told the court Rancourt said: "If you guys do another celebration like that I'll make sure you never skate again," and insinuated she would break his and his teammates' ankles. 

Back then, the young player, whose identity is covered by a court-ordered publication ban, admitted to the court that fear played with his memory of the event.

He testified that he had "messed some up" by telling police officers Rancourt had assaulted him by touching his upper body when soundless security footage shows there was no physical contact between the two.

The other key witness for Crown prosecutors, Maverine Bain— the mother of one of the other Walden team players— testified on Thursday before Rancourt took the stand. 

Bain told the court she was by the Walden dressing room waiting for her son to come out while tending to a toddler when she witnessed the interaction between Rancourt and the player, and said she heard the threat about breaking ankles.

Court hears parts of testimony given to police

The court then heard a recording of part of what Bain told police the day after the game. 

She was heard telling officers that more people were coming through the corridor and it got chaotic, but she heard the threat and saw Rancourt grab the young player by the scruff of the neck.

The court reviewed the video footage of the alleged incident again, which showed a only a brief verbal exchange between the player and Rancourt and no physical contact. 

Bain added that things happened quickly and she had a vague memory of events.

Rancourt's lawyer asked Bain if she knew about the existence of the security footage before she went to police, to which Bain answered that she's aware Sudbury arenas have cameras, but had never been to the Espanola rink before that day.

Rancourt's lawyer then introduced a motion to dismiss the case, pointing to reliability issues with the main witness and a lack of evidence. The charge of causing a disturbance was dropped but the judge said the trial for the charge of uttering a threat should proceed.

It is expected to wrap up Friday with testimony from three witnesses who were also in the arena corridor during the alleged incident.