Surrey's former mayor Doug McCallum found not guilty of public mischief
Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum has been found not guilty, following a multi-week trial in a Surrey courtroom.
A provincial court judge delivered the verdict Monday, clearing McCallum of the public mischief charge against him.
It closes the chapter on a lengthy controversy facing City Hall, over an incident that the then-mayor alleged occurred in a Save on Foods parking lot last September.
The incident dates back to September 4, 2021, when the Surrey mayor claimed a woman — and supporter of the Keep the RCMP in Surrey group — ran over his foot in the parking lot.
At the event, McCallum alleged that he was “verbally assaulted” before he got struck by a grey Ford Mustang.
The driver of the vehicle was not charged.
Three months after the incident, BC Prosecution Service Special Prosecutor Richard Fowler QC approved a charge of public mischief against McCallum, who lost his seat in the October municipal elections.
Public mischief carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison if the accused is found guilty.
Mayor Brenda Locke, who was officially sworn in on November 7 amid the ongoing trial, told Daily Hive she has instructed City staff to not make any further payments to McCallum’s invoices until the City receives an external legal opinion to understand how Surrey taxpayers will be impacted.
“The City will continue to explore its options in relation to Mr. McCallum’s legal issues and I am expecting an update in the next few weeks. I will also be asking for a review of the Indemnification By Law so it can be improved to ensure this won’t happen again. This matter will be brought to Council for consideration at a future date,” Locke said in a statement Monday following the verdict.
The full cost of his legal fees has not been made public and it is not clear if the City of Surrey was able to freeze those payments as the mayor suggested.
Linda Annis, Surrey city councillor, told Daily Hive that McCallum’s legal team was among the most expensive in the province and argues that McCallum was not conducting city duty when the incident occurred.
“We are entitled to legal assistance if something occurs during our city duties. However, there needs to be stronger… parameters put around how much we can spend and on a lawyer,” she said about the next steps, adding that she doesn’t understand why there is so much secrecy when it comes to the cost of this controversy for taxpayers.
“If you’re spending somebody else’s money, they should know, you know, how much is being spent,” Annis said.
Daily Hive has also reached out to the RCMP for comment.
With files from Amir Ali