Carriere Trial Winding Down

Carriere Trial Winding Down

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 14:34

Closing arguments are expected today in Prince Albert in the trial of a former high-ranking government director accused of sexual assault.

56-year-old Murdoch Carriere is accused of groping four women while he was director of the province’s forest fire control centre.

Yesterday, Carriere testified that while he may have hugged and kissed the workers, he wasn’t necessarily aware he was doing it because it was custom.

He also said it’s common in Aboriginal culture to kiss and hug co-workers in a casual or business setting.

The Crown asked him if that custom was different in a workplace with a mix of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers.

Carriere said he never paid attention and it was something he couldn’t control.

He denies acting improperly toward any of the women, though, and claims some of them seemed to have axes to grind.