RCMP Cpl. Benjamin "Monty" Robinson acted to mislead police when he downed two shots of vodka following the 2008 crash that killed a South Delta man, a judge ruled Friday.
In her decision handed down in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, Justice Janice Dillion found the former Richmond RCMP officer's actions deliberate and convicted the Mountie of obstruction of justice.
"Robinson's act of drinking the vodka was, I conclude, wilfully designed to set up the defence that he had learned during his police training," the judge stated in handing down her ruling.
Robinson, previously known for his involvement in a Taser incident at the airport which left a Polish immigrant dead in October 2007, was charged following a crash a year later that killed Orion Hutchinson, 21.
Hutchinson's mother, Judith Hutchinson, said outside the courthouse that she was feeling a sense of satisfaction and relief after hearing the verdict.
She called for the RCMP to immediately suspend Robinson without pay, terminate him and launch an internal investigation.
In a statement following the verdict, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Norm Lipinski, the force is seeking to have Robinson dismissed. Asked why Robinson won't be fired outright, now that he's a convicted criminal, Lipinski said he's still entitled to due process as a police officer under the RCMP Act.
"We believe in due process," he said. "We have to go through those steps."
