Canadian Press
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — While Dar Heatherington's laptop may have been used to create stalker letters, there's no proof that Heatherington wrote them, a computer expert testified Thursday at the mischief trial of the city alderwoman.
Heatherington, who became famous last year when she disappeared for three days while on council business in the United States, is on trial in her hometown accused of making up stories to police about being stalked.
One piece of evidence against her was a computer disk turned over to police by Heatherington's husband, Dave. It contained copies of the letters the stalker wrote to Heatherington, including one that contained the alderwoman's trademark misspellings.
Police officers have previously testified they spotted Heatherington reading up on stalking and copying passages from books. One such passage appeared word for word in a stalker letter.
Computer expert Dave Johnston has testified it was likely that the incriminating disk came from Heatherington's laptop.
But when defence lawyer Dawn Janecke asked, "You could not tell us who sat at the computer and typed the words that were actually on the disk?" he replied: "No I could not."
Outside court, Johnston said the computer user would need to have access to the machine and the password.
"If somebody has the keys to the kingdom they could sit down and work at it but they would need the time to be alone with the device because people certainly know whom the laptop belongs to."
Heatherington is accused of writing and sending the lurid, sexually charged letters to herself from October 2002 until the end of April 2003.
The letters stopped arriving a few days before Heatherington disappeared in Great Falls, Mont. She turned up a few days later in Las Vegas telling police she had been abducted, sexually assaulted and drugged. She recanted the story and was charged with providing false information to police.
She struck a deal with prosecutors there and will not have a criminal record there if she keeps the peace and seeks counselling.
The Crown wrapped up its case Thursday. The hearing will resume March 1.
Outside court, Janecke would not say if Heatherington will be called to testify in her defence.
If convicted, she faces a maximum five years in jail and would be forced to quit city council
