The defence lawyer in the Michael Applebaum trial is asking tougher questions to the crown's key witness — Applebaum's ex-chief of staff — as he tries to chip away at his credibility.
Hugo Tremblay testified for a fourth straight day in Applebaum's trial. The former mayor faces charges of corruption, breach of trust and conspiracy. The charges stem from real estate projects in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges/NDG during Applebaum's time as mayor there.
Defence lawyer Pierre Teasdale got into Tremblay's spending and drug and alcohol habits. Tremblay said he dabbled in marijuana and cocaine. He said he was 16 or 17 and in his 20s when he started. Tremblay said he consumed cocaine two or three times on a social basis, for example when travelling in Greece or clubbing back in 2010 and 2011.
Tremblay said he did go out regularly and drink a lot and also spent beyond his means. Tremblay insisted he did not have a drinking or drug problem.
"Did I drink a lot?" Tremblay testified.
"When you're 30 and have a lot of illicit cash on you, yes."
On the alleged $50-thousand offered to real estate developers, the defence asked Tremblay why he didn't mention it to police in his 2013 police statement or why he said "it could have been Michael Applebaum" who brought up the amount, when he's been testifying that it was Applebaum all along. Tremblay testified that his memory was fuzzy at the time but he remembers it now.
Teasdale also grilled Tremblay about exactly how it came to be he collaborated with police. After going around and around the question of whether Tremblay deserved not to be charged after working with police, Teasdale put it another way: did he reasonably expect to be charged?
"No," replied Tremblay. "Does that answer your question?"
Tremblay testified that when police arrived on his doorstep and started asking questions, his first thought was what the police had on him, that he "was up sh*t creek." Tremblay said when police suggested that if he collaborated, he'd have a better chance of getting out of this situation, he thought about the consequences for his daughter, family and job.