NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - A young man who lived on Robert Pickton's farm never saw Pickton with any of the women he's accused of murdering and testified Tuesday that his former boss was a hard-working and caring man.
Gerald McLaughlin said he lived in a motor home on the farm for almost two years, ending about November 2000, and worked for Pickton and his brother Dave during the day while serving as a watchman at night.
The motor home, the jury heard earlier in the trial, was the site where investigators discovered DNA and blood stains on a mattress that were linked to Mona Wilson.
Pickton is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Wilson, Marnie Frey, Sereena Abotsway, Georgina Papin, Brenda Wolfe and Andrea Joesbury.
The motor home is located about 100 metres from the trailer where Pickton lived.
The jury heard earlier in the trial about numerous swabs of stains taken from a mattress, some cider bottles, a running shoe, a kitchen counter, a beer can, a shower hose and syringe in the rear of the dilapidated, filthy motor home that yielded DNA that matched Wilson.
Wilson was last seen in early December 2001.
McLaughlin said he was used as a night watchman and worked off and on during the day for Pickton and his younger brother during the time he lived there.
McLaughlin said he was supposed to pay rent for the motor home but often didn't and Pickton didn't seem to care.
"He was like a guardian or parent, always looking out for me,'' the witness told the jury of seven men and five women who began hearing evidence Jan. 22.
McLaughlin told defence lawyer Patrick McGowan that Pickton was a down-to-basics guy who made work seem like fun.
"He had a very strong work ethic,'' said McLaughlin, adding that Pickton often worked from early morning to late at night.
He also allowed McLaughlin free rein of his trailer residence where he could use the bathroom and take showers.
"If you got drunk and wanted to talk you just go over (to the trailer) and socialize,'' said McLaughlin.
He said he doesn't recall seeing anything unusual on the property.
"You know what he is charged with,'' McGowan said to McLaughlin. "Looking back, is there anything we should know?''
"I never witnessed or seen anything going on on the farm,'' said McLaughlin.
He said there was a "lot of traffic'' through Pickton's trailer residence because it was not only his home, but also an office where workers would sometimes gather, as well as a place to meet after work for socializing.
He recalled meeting a woman named Dinah Taylor at least once but said she would call for Pickton often and he would answer the phone.
Taylor's name has come up often during the trial and she was once arrested but never charged in the missing women investigation.
McLaughlin said he attended a few parties at Piggy's Palace, a building located on another Pickton property not far from from the main site, where people would gather for parties.
Pickton often drove home people who were drunk.
"Willie was always giving people a hand. He didn't want to see people drive home drunk.''
The jury was dismissed at noon Tuesday because the Crown and defence had to make legal arguments concerning the next witness.
The jury also heard from RCMP Sgt. John Cater, who testified earlier in the trial but was recalled to continue some cross-examination.
He was asked about a meeting that RCMP officials had Jan. 21, 2003, in which the arrest of Pat Casanova was discussed.
Casanova, who spent many days on the Pickton property helping the accused with his sideline business of butchering pigs, was arrested in January 2003 in the Pickton case. He was never charged.
Cater agreed with defence lawyer Adrian Brooks's suggestion that the meeting was to discuss an undercover operation on Casanova.
But something happened to the operation, said Brooks.
Cater said he could not remember when the operation started and when it finished.
"You are aware that it started before October 2002?''
"I believe that's the case,'' said Cater.
"Because you included that undercover operation in one of your requests for a warrant, correct?'' asked Brooks.
Cater agreed.
"So what brought this rush of activity on Jan. 21, 2003, was that it was discovered that the undercover operation with regard to Pat Casanova had been compromised.''
"That was the main issue,'' said Cater.
Brooks didn't pursue or elaborate on the matter of a compromise any further.
