Leeming trial hears how accused murderer led undercover officers to bodies of Calgary mother, daughter

An undercover Calgary police officer testified about how a sting operation helped discover the our bodies of the victims at Robert Leeming’s trial on Thursday.

Leeming, a 36-year-old U.Okay. citizen, has pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide within the loss of life of Calgary mom Jasmine Lovett, 25, however not responsible to second-degree homicide within the loss of life of Lovett’s daughter, 22-month-old Aliyah Sanderson, in 2019.

Leeming arrived at courtroom in a gray sweatshirt, his full beard poking out of his blue masks and his eyes downcast.

The undercover officer, who can’t be named as a consequence of a publication ban, detailed Operation Highwood, the 4.5-hour sting the place Leeming led two undercover officers to Lovett and Sanderson’s our bodies.

Courtroom listened to hours of audio from the operation and heard the officers first made contact with Leeming on Could 5, 2019, at round 7 p.m. close to Sobeys Liquor at Cranberry Street and Cranston Avenue S.E.

The sting’s premise was a nosy neighbour discovered a bag of proof, and the undercover officers provided to assist Leeming handle it. The officers instructed Leeming they acknowledged him due to his interviews with journalists and thought the proof may be vital to him.

As Leeming waited to cross the road, the officer and his associate approached Leeming and began speaking to him.

Leeming appeared sober and alert, the officer stated.

“He was very engaged in our dialog and offered clever solutions,” the undercover officer instructed courtroom.

The three visited quite a lot of places in Calgary and west of town.

The officer stated on the tapes: “You’re the dude from the information. You’re like a f***ing rockstar.”

Leeming replies: “Hardly… There’s nothing rockstar about my f***ing life proper now, I’ll let you know that.”

They invited Leeming to sit down on a bench exterior a espresso store and speak. Leeming requested in the event that they have been cops, which they denied.

“I’ve had my life turned the other way up,” Leeming stated.

The officers provided to take Leeming for a experience of their truck, and he agreed to go for a beer.

To construct belief, officers shared tales that confirmed police in a destructive gentle and recommendation on how you can keep inconspicuous.

Leeming was “relaxed” and “jovial,” the officer instructed courtroom.

“We have been sharing tales backwards and forwards, and having a little bit of fun all through,” he stated.

They left the pub and took the truck to a “covert location” — a warehouse — arriving there about one hour and quarter-hour after assembly.

They tried to work out a deal and “work out how you can garner belief,” the officer instructed courtroom.

Leeming gave one of many officers a hand-crafted knife as a present — one thing of worth to him.

The officers confirmed Leeming their arsenal of weapons to construct belief, although they famous the weapons didn’t work. He instructed courtroom they weren’t making an attempt to intimidate Leeming however as an alternative making an attempt to indicate him their felony background.

It’s a “dust on dust mentality,” the officer instructed courtroom.

Leeming stated: “I don’t know the way it works right here on this nation or… if I ask should you’re cops, you need to inform me, proper?”

“Sure,” one officer responded, although that’s not a regulation in Canada.

Leeming defined to the officers that he put bacon in his basement as misdirection.

“Pork is the closest factor to folks in the way in which that canines react to them,” he stated, “and that’s why they’re pissed off.”

“To not throw ‘em off, simply (indiscernible) they stated we’re going to come back in with cadaver canines, so I believed, ‘Effectively, that’s attention-grabbing.’”

They made a deal, shook fingers and agreed that they might share info with one another.

Leeming stated: “They’re trying very, very far-off from the place they need to be.”

The trio checked out a map on a cellphone.

“What are we on the lookout for? Them?” an officer requested.

Leeming nodded.

“You’ll by no means have to fret about it once more,” the officer stated.

Leeming shook fingers with each, they usually agreed to drive to the place the our bodies are.

When requested why he picked that particular place in Kananaskis, Leeming stated: “By no means been there earlier than. That’s why.”

The trial continues Friday morning.