Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
CTV
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Following two weeks of proceedings, the jury’s verdict handed down Friday found Jackson withheld his then 7-year old daughter from her mother in late 2021 to early 2022. Police eventually found the pair in Vernon, B.C.
Jackson, 55, stood trial for contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in November 2021 and withholding the child from her mother until February 2022 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
The court randomly removed two of the original 14 chosen jury members prior to the judge’s order.
“I am the judge of the law,” Justice Heather MacMillian-Brown told the jury on Friday morning. “You are the judge of the facts. It is your duty to judge what the facts are.”
Justice MacMillian-Brown summarized evidence that was presented over the course of the trial and also reiterated advice she gave the jury over the course of the last two weeks.
“The torch now passes to you to decide a verdict based on the evidence in its entirety.” she said before releasing the jury to deliberate.
