Witness storms out of public inquiry

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

Terri Saunders 

Thursday, February 01, 2007 - 10:00 

Local News - A key witness at the Cornwall Public Inquiry stormed off the stand Thursday morning and it’s not certain he’ll return. 

David Silmser had only just begun to answer questions put to him by Dominic Lamb, an attorney representing Rev. Charles MacDonald at the hearings, when he suddenly stood up and announced he was leaving. 

“I’m taking a break,” he said, putting on his jacket and standing up in the witness box. 

Comm. Normand Glaude attempted to stop him, but Silmser kept going. 

“I’m taking a break,” he said. “How do you like that, Mr. Callaghan?” 

Silmser’s last comment was directed towards John Callaghan, an attorney representing the Cornwall Community Police Service. Just before Silmser left the stand, his own lawyer, Clint Culic, had requested a few moments to speak with his client. Callaghan questioned upon what grounds Culic would be permitted to speak to Silmser while the witness was in cross-examination. 

After speaking with Silmser for close to an hour, Culic returned to the hearings room and told Glaude he would try to get his client some anger management counseling prior to the resumption of hearings Monday afternoon. 

“Without it,” Culic said, “I’m not sure he can survive cross-examination.” 

Silmser received a $32,000 payment from the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese in 1993 after he made allegations he’d been repeatedly sexually assaulted by MacDonald in the late 1960s and 1970s. 

MacDonald, who has adamantly denied the allegations in the past, had sex-related criminal charges against him stayed by a judge in May 2002 after it was determined it took too long to bring the matter before the courts. 

The inquiry is expected to resume Monday at 2 p.m.