Witness IDs dealer in robbery
May 20, 2008 - 04:00 PM
By Jeff Mitchell
WHITBY -- A drug dealer looking to collect on a debt hog-tied an Ajax woman and left her bound in duct tape while he made off with her TV, a judge heard at the start of a trial Tuesday.
On the stand at the Whitby courthouse, the 51-year-old victim said she was surprised when the home invasion occurred in August of 2006, and shocked to find a man she thought of as a "good acquaintance" staring down at her when she awoke in her bed.
But Kim LaFranchise did acknowledge that prior to the incident at her Falby Court apartment, she had a disagreement with Peter Johnson over money: "I bought some dope off him and it was no good, so I told him I wasn't going to pay for it."
Ms. LaFranchise was the first witness in the Superior Court trial of Mr. Johnson, who is charged with robbery and forcible confinement. Crown counsel Telena Mulligan told Justice Cory Gilmore she'll present evidence that proves Mr. Johnson -- also known as Paul -- entered the victim's apartment, bound her with duct tape and hauled away her 42-inch plasma TV, which was eventually sold, with the profit of $800 going to Mr. Johnson.
Ms. LaFranchise testified she was bound head to foot in duct tape for several hours before she finally managed to get to a bedside telephone and dial 911 with her nose. She told cops Mr. Johnson had robbed her and he was arrested a couple of days later, court heard.
Under cross-examination Ms. LaFranchise admitted she has a criminal record and has experienced memory problems since an accident a couple of years ago. She also said years of addiction to crack and prescription drugs may cloud her memory.
"It's possible it's due to crack cocaine," she said. "I've had a problem with drugs for a long time."
The trial continues.
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