Cops charged with corruption not the only Calgary police officers working as private investigators, trial told

Forthe third time in a week, a Calgary police officer has testified he worked for a private investigator despite being aware his second job was against CPS policy.

AnthonyBraile,Const.Bryan Morton and Sgt. BradfordMcNishare on trial for corruption-related offences stemming from the work they did for a PI firm which had been hired to follow a woman in the middle of a custody battle.

On Thursday, Const.David Grouchey invoked a section of the Canada Evidence Act which protects him from incriminating himself during his testimony. He is the second CPS officer to do so and their third officer to admit to working a job in violation of the Police Act.

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Within minutes of telling the court he had condemned Bryan Morton's employment, he admitted to doing the same work himself.

Braile,Morton and McNishare accused of targetingAkeleTaylor when they workedfor aprivate investigation firm run by retired Calgary Police Service officer Steve Walton and his wife, Heather.

Braile, Morton andMcNishwere all Calgary police officers when they worked for theWaltons'firm that was hired by multi-millionaire Ken Carter, who wanted full custody of the daughter he shared with Taylor. TheWaltonsand Carter go on trial for similar charges later this year.

Grouchey said he was friends with Morton from 2012 to 2014. He toldprosecutor Julie Snowdon that he was "shocked" to find out Morton was working on the sidefor a private investigator.

CPS has a policy that the Chief's office must sign off on any outside employment; the three big no-nos which are never approved aresecurity work, employment in a licensed establishment, and driving a taxi.

Security work would be a conflict of interest, according to other police witnesses who testified earlier in the trial.

While the trio is not facing criminal charges for working with the Waltons that could become an issue at a CPS hearing following the trialthey are accused of illegally accessing CPS computer systems to assist with that work.

But Grouchey was the third witness who faces no repercussionscriminally or within CPS to testify that he was working for the Waltons PI firm while also serving as aCalgary police officer.

'I won't get in trouble criminally'

Grouchey says he warned Morton that the PI work put him "out on a bit of a limb, exposing himself to some trouble down the road" and told him not to get in trouble.

He described his friend'sreaction as "cavalier." Grouchey said Morton told him: "Well I won't get in trouble criminally, it'll all be internally."

"I kind of wiped my hands clean at that point," said Grouchey.

But that didn't happen. In the same time period Grouchey said he was warning Morton, he also admitted to working for the Waltons himself.

On 13 occasions, beginning in June 2013, Grouchey provided surveillance for the Waltons' company.

Groucheyearned$13k

Ten of those shifts involved watching the flood-damaged, unoccupied home of a wealthy oil and gas businessman whose two houses containing $20-million in valuables.

On another occasion, Grouchey provided security forSveinung Svarte during a Stampede party.

Snowdon asked why Grouchey had warned Morton about getting in trouble for his surveillance and security work yet had gone on to do the same himself.

Instead of answering her question, Grouchey admitted to more work he'd done for Steve Walton, this time he spent two shifts watching a home where Akele Taylor lived.

In total, Grouchey was paid $13,000 for his side gigs.

Earlier in the trial, two other current CPS officers also testifiedthat they toohad done work for the Waltons while active police officers.

'Make a few extra bucks'

Under cross-examination by McNish's lawyer Paul Brunnen, Grouchey wouldn't put a label on the work he did as either security or surveillance.

"That's a matter of opinion, I looked at it as helping him out, make a few extra bucks on the side... it was very relaxed."

Brunnen asked if Grouchey considered the secondary employment criminal, to which the witness responded,"no."

CBC News contacted Calgary police to ask if there has been any fallout from Grouchey'sdisclosure of outside employment contrary to CPS policy but did not immediately hear back.

Grouchy likely would have told CPS investigators of his surveillance and security work before charges were laid in 2016.

All three accused are charged with unauthorized use of a computer system and bribery.

The bribery accusations relate to offers of thousands of dollars made to Taylor's friends and acquaintances for information that would help Carter gain custody of their daughter.

$1-million private investigation

Braile and Morton also face charges of criminal harassment, while Morton and McNish each face a charge of breach of trust.

Court has heard evidence that aGPSunit was placed on Taylor's vehicle and there were plans to bug the car, according to witnesses who testified earlier in the trial. She testified that she was "stalked," constantly followed and harassed by Steve and Heather Walton.

There is evidence Carterwho is said to be worth about $80 million spent about a million dollars on the two-year campaign to discredit Taylor in an effort to secure full custody of their daughter.

The trial is supposed to wrap up on March 2.