Warning: This article contains details that may be triggering to readers. Historical assault charges against a former Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer have been stayed by the Crown ahead of trial. Ted Oderkirk, 51, walked out of the Barrie courthouse Friday afternoon after the prosecution abruptly halted the case that was set to begin on Thursday morning, by staying five counts of assault and a single count of uttering a threat. “He’s very happy,” said Oderkirk’s lawyer Alexa Banister-Thompson. “He had every intention to have a trial and plead not guilty, however, as you saw, the Crown stayed the charges.” Banister-Thompson said the decision from the Crown was a result of “late disclosure” that came in Thursday evening. According to court documents obtained by CTV News, Oderkirk faces allegations from two different complainants who claim Oderkirk assaulted them years ago. Publication bans protect the identities of the complainants from being revealed including the nature of their relationship to Oderkirk, who still faces remaining charges consisting of three counts of sexual assault and one count of obstruction of justice. The allegations go back several years and are historical in nature according to court records. A staying of charges means the Crown has one year to revive its prosecution. “There have been problems with some of these charges from the outset,” said Banister-Thompson outside the Barrie courthouse. “The timing of them is particularly curious to the defence and on the last remaining charges that will come to light in trial.” The second of Oderkirk’s two scheduled trials, involving a different complainant, is set to begin in December. The allegations against him have not been tested in court. In August, Oderkirk, who was found guilty in a Perth courtroom of two counts of breaching an earlier release by failing to abide by a non-communication order, was given a conditional discharge and three years of probation. Oderkirk was released from custody earlier this week following a bail review. He recently resigned from the OPP after 23 years of service and had been behind bars since for about eight months. He had a checkered past with the police service including several incidents that resulted in reprimands. One incident in 2009 included Oderkirk deploying a tear-gas canister at the OPP detachment when colleagues were sleeping. The mess resulted in $52,000 in damage to the building. Oderkirk was recorded shirtless and wearing a gas mask. The Toronto Star reported Oderkirk was docked pay for 160 hours and demoted for three months after he pleaded guilty to causing mischief over $5,000. The OPP confirmed his resignation and that Oderkirk had been suspended without pay following his most recent arrest in February. His lawyers Peter Brauti and Alexa Banister-Thompson said Oderkirk looks forward to defending himself and maintains his innocence. “He’s looking forward to putting this behind him,” Banister-Thompson explained. “He’s got one more trial to go and hopefully that will get a favourable result and then he can move forward from there.”
