Accused takes the stand in drug trial

By Jeremy Appel on November 21, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

A man accused of possessing methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking took the stand at his trial Tuesday.

Aaron Hotchen, 53, was charged on July 8, 2016, after police pulled over a truck in Bassano and found 140 grams of meth hidden in a water bottle. Hotchen was the passenger in the vehicle, which had been the target of police surveillance.

Tuesday was the provincial court trial’s first sitting since September, when the Crown and defence argued about the admissibility of evidence police acquired through searching the truck.

Judge Sylvia Lori Oishi ruled on Oct. 31 that the evidence is admissible.

Hotchen testified he went with a friend to Calgary on July 7, 2016, to pick up a pair of speakers another friend had given him in exchange for a mountain bike.

The driver was going to Calgary to pick up some auto parts for his parents, who reside in Red Deer, Hotchen said, adding that he was unable to drive himself due to a licence suspension.

He testified he originally planned on staying overnight with a friend in Calgary, whom police saw him meet at a local Chili’s restaurant, but his friend got into a fight with his girlfriend and ultimately decided Hotchen couldn’t stay the night.

Hotchen said he didn’t know why the driver agreed to return to Medicine Hat that night instead of delivering the auto parts to his parents.

“He just said, ‘We have to go back to the Hat,'” Hotchen testified.

The vehicle they were in belonged to Alan Dressel, who is currently serving time in prison for trafficking cocaine.

Police were initially conducting surveillance on Dressel, but moved their target to Hotchen when he was seen in Dressel’s truck.

Under cross-examination, Hotchen admitted to purchasing meth from Dressel.

He also said he had consumed meth on the day in question.

“We had a couple puffs off a pipe, but that was it,” said Hotchen.

He also denied purchasing the drugs on his way to Calgary.

“I was too broke,” Hotchen said.

Earlier that day, the Crown played snippets of phone conversations Hotchen made from jail in order to demonstrate he’s a drug dealer, not just a user.

While Crown prosecutor Jeremy Newton played the clips, Hotchen could be heard reacting from the prisoner’s box.

“Oh boy,” he said at one point.

“I’m going to ask you to stop interrupting the proceedings with noises,” said Oishi.

The Crown played the clips for Medicine Hat Police Service Const. David Gornisiewicz, who works with the Organized Crime Unit and is an expert in drug trafficking.

“The person making the calls is essentially, in my opinion, running a drug organization,” Gornisiewicz said, adding that it sounded like Hotchen was “giving direction and instruction to other individuals.”

In one of the recordings, Hotchen said, “I’m going to give you my guy in Calgary.”

Newton suggested the friend Hotchen met at the Chili’s was his drug dealer.

Wayne Shrubsall, who Newton suggested sells drugs for Hotchen, repeatedly came up in the recordings.

“I was giving him stuff all summer at cost,” Hotchen is heard saying.

In another recording, he claimed to have lent Shrubsall $300 a day.

“I thought you were broke,” said Newton. “That is an insane amount of money.”

Hotchen’s cross-examination continues today.

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