Canadian soldier found guilty of drugging colleagues with cannabis cupcakes during live-fire exercise
Canadian soldier found guilty of drugging colleagues with cannabis cupcakes during live-fire exercise
Bombardier Chelsea Cogswell arrives for a court martial at CFB Gagetown in Oromocto, N.B., on Thursday, August 12, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Bissett)
A military judge has found a Canadian soldier guilty of drugging her comrades with cannabis cupcakes during a live-fire training exercise, calling her actions "shockingly unacceptable."
Bombardier Chelsea Cogswell was found guilty Wednesday on nine charges, including eight charges of administering a noxious substance and one charge of behaving in a disgraceful manner, in the first trial of its kind for the Canadian military.
Cogswell was operating a mobile canteen during Exercise Common Gunner, a major live-fire drill involving up to 150 personnel in July 2018 at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick.
During two videotaped statements, Cogswell told military police that she baked a dozen chocolate cupcakes for her fellow soldiers but denied adding any cannabis to them.
Five soldiers who provided urine samples tested positive for marijuana while the wrapper from one of the cupcakes also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Several soldiers testified to a chaotic scene on the firing line as intoxication quickly took hold.
One gunner wandered aimlessly in front of a howitzer, staring at the trees and seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. Another soldier, who comrades described as typically health-conscious, sat eating Doritos and chain-smoking cigarettes. Others fell on the ground in laughter.
The court heard that a gunner tried to load an artillery round into a weapon while the shell’s protective end cap was still in place. Another testified that he improperly set a timing fuze, which controls how far down range an artillery shell will explode.
A soldier slipped and fell off an ammo box while trying to load her gun. Another testified to nearly crashing his military truck into another vehicle while his passenger testified to the cartoonish appearance of the scene around them.
'SIGNIFICANT HARM' AND 'POTENTIAL DEATH'
Prosecutor Maj. Max Reede argued that Cogswell’s actions recklessly introduced serious risk into an already risky training scenario, and violated the integrity of her colleagues, including a member who had been in recovery from substance use for several years.
Defence lawyer Ian Kasper argued the military police were negligent in their investigation and he denied the charges against Cogswell, who pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Military Judge Cmdr. Sandra Sukstorf agreed with the prosecution in her finding, saying Cogswell’s actions introduced "significant harm" and "potential death" into the exercise.
Cogswell, who did not testify at the hearing, told police she had a prescription for medical marijuana at the time of the incident. Recreational marijuana was still outlawed in July 2018, three months before the federal Cannabis Act legalized its use and possession.
Cogswell has served in the army’s regular forces since June 2011. She became a qualified artillery gunner in 2013 and was promoted to the rank of bombardier in 2015.
A hearing to decide her sentence will begin in New Brunswick on Nov. 16.
U.S. President Joe Biden arrived Thursday evening in Ottawa for a whirlwind 27-hour visit expected to focus on both the friendly and thorny aspects of the Canada-U.S. relationship, including protectionism and migration on both sides of the border.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
As the federal government looks to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., an eastern Ontario mayor says his city needs more help from Ottawa to deal with the influx of asylum seekers arriving through irregular crossings like Roxham Road.
Amid renewed questions over the pervasiveness of alleged interference by China in Canadian elections and affairs broadly, opposition MPs voted Thursday afternoon to affirm a parliamentary committee's call for the federal government to strike a public inquiry.
A majority of Canadians have seen a mistake on their grocery receipts in the last year, according to a new survey conducted by Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
An asteroid discovered just last week will pass closer to the Earth than the orbit of the moon this weekend, an occurrence so rare it happens only once in a decade, according to NASA.
The number of Canadians receiving employment insurance benefits are at record lows and down 44 per cent from last year, new figures from Statistics Canada show.
Two Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk) sisters from Montreal are on a mission that is close to their hearts: to save their ancestors' first language by developing video games young and old can play.
Following a court appearance Thursday, a B.C. woman facing more than 20 charges – including manslaughter – in connection with alleged druggings of men who used escort services was remanded into custody.
The man killed in West Vancouver earlier this week was a retired urologist who was involved in several legal disputes over valuable real estate, CTV News has learned.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
An Ontario man said he was shocked when his truck was stolen not once but twice, and the second time it was taken he was surprised to discover he was no longer covered for theft.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
The political class at the National Assembly has condemned the 'violent' and 'hateful' remarks that columnist Gilles Proulx allegedly made about Quebec solidaire MNAs during Richard Martineau's show on Qub radio in recent weeks.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
Potato farmers on Prince Edward Island are taking the federal government to court due to the decision to restrict the movement of P.E.I. seed potatoes.
Manitoba First Nation police have arrested a man connected with a shooting on March 19 on Long Plain First Nation that resulted in the community going on lockdown.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville. There was no winner Thursday night so the total prize money is now an estimated $1,526,067.
The resurrection of Zellers is officially underway with the Cambridge location opening its doors to eager shoppers who lined up ahead of the store's official reopening.
A recent report from the province’s privacy commissioner says the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI) failed to take appropriate steps after patient treatment files were discovered in a recycling bin.
The quick thinking and immediate actions of two people are credited with possibly saving the life of a Midland councillor after he collapsed at a meeting Wednesday evening.
Investigators with York Regional Police issued Canada-wide warrants for two men who they say are involved in the Richmond Hill attack on Ontario woman Elnaz Hajtamiri weeks before she was allegedly abducted.
An alleged victim of a former staff member of Legacy Christian Academy can now be identified after she successfully petitioned in court to have a publication ban lifted.
In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s provincial budget, school divisions in Saskatchewan were expecting funding levels to increase, with the province repeatedly touting its $1 billion surplus.
The co-owners of a new liquidation store in North Bay, Samuel Quesnel and Chloé Boivenue, say they want to bring a treasure hunt shopping experience to the city.
Bombardier Chelsea Cogswell arrives for a court martial at CFB Gagetown in Oromocto, N.B., on Thursday, August 12, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Bissett)
