Close X
Monday, January 13, 2025
ADVT 
National

Former Vancouver Olympics CEO John Furlong Accuses Lawyer Of Sullying Dead Wife's Reputation

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jun, 2015 12:12 PM
    VANCOUVER — Former Vancouver Olympics CEO John Furlong raised his voice and thumped his fist during testimony as he defended himself at a British Columbia Supreme Court defamation trial on Tuesday.
     
    During fiery cross-examination, Furlong accused lawyer Bryan Baynham — who is representing freelance journalist Laura Robinson — of sullying his deceased wife's reputation.
     
    Robinson is suing Furlong for comments he made after she wrote an article that included affidavits from eight former First Nations students alleging he physically and verbally abused them at a Roman Catholic school in northern British Columbia about 45 years ago.
     
    Baynham suggested Furlong lied when he testified that Deborah Furlong drove around on the morning the story was published in September 2012 and grabbed as many Georgia Straight newspapers as she could.
     
    "How dare you sully her reputation and her life like that? I gave you exactly what she did," Furlong said. "She was totally distraught."
     
    Furlong has testified that the allegations contained in the article are "absolutely not true." He said the stress forced him and his wife to flee to Ireland, where she died in a car crash in 2013.
     
    At a news conference the day the article was published, Furlong accused Robinson of a "shocking lack of diligence" and "inaccurate reporting."
     
    Baynham read emails in court that showed Furlong retained a lawyer, Marvin Storrow, in April 2012 to handle Robinson's requests. Through Storrow, he declined an interview and refused to answer specific questions.
     
    The former Olympics boss testified he sent Robinson an emailed statement denying the allegations, and it was her responsibility to ensure the accusers were telling the truth before publishing.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Dog Soothes 10-Year-Old Girl At Sex-Assault Trial; Sets New Course For B.C.'s Courts

    Dog Soothes 10-Year-Old Girl At Sex-Assault Trial; Sets New Course For B.C.'s Courts
    VANCOUVER — A police dog has helped a 10-year-old girl endure the pain of testifying about an alleged sexual assault, and in doing so has become the first canine to assist a child during a trial in British Columbia.

    Dog Soothes 10-Year-Old Girl At Sex-Assault Trial; Sets New Course For B.C.'s Courts

    Saskatchewan Professor Ravi Chibbar Debunks Claims That Modern Wheat Causing Gluten Intolerance

    Saskatchewan Professor Ravi Chibbar Debunks Claims That Modern Wheat Causing Gluten Intolerance
    A University of Saskatchewan professor Ravi Chibbar says he's debunked claims that modern varieties of wheat are causing gluten intolerance because of how their protein content has been manipulated

    Saskatchewan Professor Ravi Chibbar Debunks Claims That Modern Wheat Causing Gluten Intolerance

    How Old Are Those Fish? Creationist Finds Fossils While Digging Calgary Basement

    How Old Are Those Fish? Creationist Finds Fossils While Digging Calgary Basement
    CALGARY — Edgar Nernberg sees the irony of believing the Earth is roughly 6,000 years old, while being the one to discover rare fossils of fish that scientists estimate lived 60 million years ago.

    How Old Are Those Fish? Creationist Finds Fossils While Digging Calgary Basement

    Calgary's Worst Mass Murder Accused Matthew de Grood To Go To Trial Next May

    Calgary's Worst Mass Murder Accused Matthew de Grood To Go To Trial Next May
    Matthew de Grood was charged with first-degree murder after an attack at an end-of-school house party in April 2014 in which five young people were stabbed to death.

    Calgary's Worst Mass Murder Accused Matthew de Grood To Go To Trial Next May

    Parliament Hill Gunman Michael Zehaf Bibeau Urges Others To Similar Attacks In Missing Video Segment

    Parliament Hill Gunman Michael Zehaf Bibeau Urges Others To Similar Attacks In Missing Video Segment
    As calmly as Michael Zehaf Bibeau laid out the reasons for his fateful attack on Parliament Hill last October, he exhorted others to carry out similar attacks, say sources familiar with the unreleased portion of his final video manifesto.

    Parliament Hill Gunman Michael Zehaf Bibeau Urges Others To Similar Attacks In Missing Video Segment

    A Quick Look At What Increased Canada Pension Plan Contributions Could Look Like

    A Quick Look At What Increased Canada Pension Plan Contributions Could Look Like
    OTTAWA — The debate over retirement and the role of the Canada Pension Plan is in full swing on Parliament Hill. Here's a quick look at what the possibilities could mean for you:

    A Quick Look At What Increased Canada Pension Plan Contributions Could Look Like