Bassam Al-Rawi trial
CBC News brings you the latest from the Bassam Al-Rawi trial
3rd & 7 37yd
3rd & 7 37yd
B
S
O
close
close

-





-
Back in Halifax provincial court for the Bassam Al-Rawi retrial. He’s expected to continue testifying today about the minutes leading up to his arrest.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 12:37:05 PM
-
A police officer previously testified she found the complainant unconscious and mostly naked in the back seat of Al-Rawi’s cab in May 2015by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 12:42:39 PM
-
The complainant testified in January and said she didn’t remember the 11-minute taxi ride after a night out drinking downtownby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 12:46:17 PM
-
Yesterday, Al-Rawi testified the complainant was crying and at one point reached out kissed his cheek and touched his neck after he told her she was beautiful. He basically described his words as an attempt to console her about boy troublesby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 12:53:40 PM
-
Defence now asking about Al-Rawi’s response to the kiss, he says he doesn’t think he gave any reactionby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 12:54:50 PM
-
-
Al-Rawi testifies he isn’t allowed to transport passengers if the car isn’t “qualified.” A little unclear what that means except that the seat was wet. Al-Rawi says complainant refused to get out of the cabby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 12:58:10 PM
-
Re: how she got in back seat, Al-Rawi says she jumped from the front seat to the back seat through the space between the front seats. He says “she told me I’m going to sit in the back seat, everything is OK don’t worry”by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:00:31 PM
-
Defence asks not call the police at this stage? Al-Rawi: Why should I call the police? She didn’t do anything wrong.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:00:50 PM
-
Al-Rawi says he started driving. Defence asks about how he knew where to go. Al-Rawi says complainant said "we’re going to cruise around” and he described her as drunkby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:03:04 PM
-
Through Arabic translator he tells the court “It was difficult for me to take any hint from her where should would like to go” and he says he asked multiple timesby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:03:58 PM
-
At one point, he says she took his hat. Al-Rawi testifies he was going to return complainant to the place he picked her up (Grafton St), says he told her she was behaving in an “unacceptable way” and that the metre was still runningby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:05:48 PM
-
Al-Rawi says he was driving 15-20 km/hr toward Atlantic St (where he was arrested) when the complainant stretched out with her legs between the two front seats while her back remained in the backseat.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:08:46 PM
-
He says “Due to her moving her feet one of her shoes fell off in front of the front seat.” Defence asking about how the woman's legs were positioned. Al-Rawi describes her feet as being close to his lapby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:10:12 PM
-
He also testifies he got the impression she wasn't happy he was taking her back to where he picked her up, but he didn't explain whyby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:10:46 PM
-
Defence: what effect, if any, did her feet moving have on her shoes? Al-Rawi says one shoe fell on his lap and another fell “down below” near the radio and he’s pointing to an area in a photo of the car.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:13:10 PM
-
"Nobody can drive in this manner" Al-Rawi says he responded. He testifies the complainant laughed and asked what was wrong with himby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:14:26 PM
-
Then he says he informed her he'd have to call the police. He’s now pointing on a map to where he stopped - on Atlantic near Brussels pointed at Young Ave.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:16:30 PM
-
The maps/photos are all too far away for me to see but they're entered as evidenceby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:18:24 PM
-
Here's the area in question https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4cD_raWwAArW7j.jpg
by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:22:53 PM -
Defence: why was a call not made to police? Al-Rawi: My intention was to take her back to where I picked her up because police cars are usually positioned there (near Pizza Corner)by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:23:33 PM
-
Al-Rawi says a police car arrived and he wasn’t sure what the complainant was doing in the back seat. He says he guessed she was about to take off her clothes… “she was afraid of accountability”by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:26:09 PM
-
Defence asking what could he see? Al-Rawi says assumed she was taking off her pants. Defence asking why. He says the way she moved her legs. He offers to re-enact what she did with her feet with his handsby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:27:07 PM
-
Defence says he needs to describe. Al-Rawi says both feet were moving front and back. Defence asks again what he could see of her legs/feet. Al-Rawi says he didn't turn to look what was on her legs or feet but he thinks she was trying to lower her pantsby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:28:25 PM
-
Al-Rawi says he noticed a police vehicle when he looked out a side mirror on the taxiby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:29:05 PM
-
He says the way he was stopped, it would’ve been difficult for someone to pass the taxi so he was looking at his side mirror and then saw the lights/police officer stepping outby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:30:45 PM
-
Al-Rawi testifies he told the complainant a police vehicle was behind them and says she laughed and said she didn’t care. He got the impression she didn't believe himby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:31:49 PM
-
Defence brings up that a police officer testified she found Al-Rawi turned and between the complainant’s legs. He responds this wasn’t correct.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:33:39 PM
-
Hutchinson asks about position of the complainant’s legs and feet. Al-Rawi says “not logical and not realistic” they were raised because the complainant was in a position that does not allow her to raise her feet, he says feet were on the centre console between 2 front seatsby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:36:03 PM
-
Al-Rawi says complainant’s pants were on her feet at that pointby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:38:23 PM
-
Here's the recap of Const. Monia Thibault's testimony in January when this retrial started, she told the court the complainant was naked from waist down and her feet were on the back of the front seats cbc.ca/news/canada/no…by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:41:27 PM
-
Questioning has paused as Crown has objected, citing leading questions. Judge says line of questioning "bumping up against leading"by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:42:39 PM
-
Hutchinson now asks about when the police officer arrived. Al-Rawi says he'll explain if he can speak without interruptionby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:44:13 PM
-
Al-Rawi says the complainant ignored his comment to behave and the female police officer approached and asked him if he was OK. He says he responded he didn’t think so. “Right away she used the F word and said what’s going on here and I told her exactly what you’re seeing”by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:47:02 PM
-
He says officer asked him to turn off car/hand over keys with the F word. He says he couldn’t do that without putting the car in park, but the police officer was telling him not to touch anything.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:48:28 PM
-
Hutchinson asks about timing and Al-Rawi says they were only stopped on Atlantic for about 15 seconds before police showed up.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:49:54 PM
-
Defence wondering why he didn't call police. Al-Rawi says no time and Hutchinson asks his client to let him finish before respondingby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:50:36 PM
-
Al-Rawi says dispatch wouldn't have helped him at that point, and that when police showed up the metre was still running. He says police told him not to touch anything, meaning he couldn't stop metreby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:51:44 PM
-
Now defence asking about the lights on the car and the spacing on the road. Al-Rawi says his lights were on and vehicle 6-7 feet from right curb, he says he thought police had to stop because they couldn't pass himby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 1:56:28 PM
-
-
Back. Hutchinson asks about body position when Al-Rawi told complainant police were coming. He responds saying his body was facing the front and his face turned toward her.by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 2:21:45 PM
-
Al-Rawi says police officer used profanity “throughout” and it made him feel “very afraid”by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 2:22:59 PM
-
Defence asks about time. From officer coming to window and him getting out of the vehicle, Al-Rawi it wouldn’t be more than 15 secby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 2:23:55 PM
-
Hutchinson brings up police officer’s comment that Al-Rawi was fumbling with his hands between his legs, he responded saying he just pushed the shoe out of the way (it was on his lap) because the officer asked him to get out of the carby Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 2:25:59 PM
-
Hutchinson asks Al-Rawi to describe the police officer’s voice. He says she used a high voice and had her radio on her left shoulder. He thought she was asking for help but he didn’t know exactly what she was saying beyond the word “immediately”by Elizabeth McMillan via twitter 4/18/2019 2:28:47 PM