Craig Gammie was all smiles as he walked out of an Owen Sound courtroom Thursday.
The former South Bruce Peninsula councillor was acquitted of an assault charge stemming from an altercation with Deputy Mayor Jay Kirkland in September of 2017, when then-councillor Gammie attempted to obtain a confidential report for which he had been denied access.
In her written decision, Justice Julia Morneau found Gammie likely shoved Kirkland from behind, but the evidence presented by Crown prosecutors did not meet the threshold for the burden of proof to convict Gammie.
Following the verdict, Gammie was met with hugs and handshakes from supporters, and accused Kirkland and Mayor Janice Jackson of fabricating the assault accusation in an effort have Gammie removed from town council.
Craig Gammie (photo by Jordan MacKinnon)
"Of course I'm very pleased with [the acquittal], but I expected an acquittal. Janice Jackson got up on the stand and lied through her teeth, and she lied through her teeth in a police statement," said Gammie.
Justice Morneau wrote in her decision that she felt both Jackson and Kirkland were honest in their testimony and did not plot to have Gammie kicked off of council.
"I am satisfied beyond any doubt that neither Mr. Kirkland nor Ms. Jackson concocted a claim that Mr. Gammie assaulted Mr. Kirkland in a planned effort to have him removed from council," wrote Morneau in her eight-page decision.
Gammie was banned from attending council meetings as part of bail conditions and was removed from council in December of last year when he missed three consecutive months of meetings, as legislated in the Municipal Act.
He said the past 13 months have been stressful.
Mayor Jackson was in the Owen Sound courtroom, but left the courthouse shortly after the verdict was read, while Kirkland did not attend the hearing.
Gammie said he will discuss legal action against Jackson or Kirkland with his lawyers, but has not decided what his next step will be.
He is not running in this month's municipal election.