CHARGES DROPPED IN DRUG STING

A Crown attorney abruptly stayed drug charges against a Toronto woman
yesterday following questionable testimony from an undercover cop.

Natalie Bennett, 26, was charged with drug-related offenses 31/2 years ago
after Toronto Police set up a sting operation to nab whoever claimed a bag
laden with 41/2 kilos of hashish sent from Jamaica.

Charges against Bennett were dropped by federal prosecutor John Healy
shortly after Const. Lorelei McIvor, an undercover cop who works with
Det.-Const. Rick Shank, testified in Brampton Court.

McIvor was also the central note-taker during the ill-fated takedown that
led to the shooting death of convicted drug dealer Hugh Dawson last Easter.
Const. Shank will face a re-trial April 19 on a manslaughter charge in
Dawson's death.

In yesterday's case, Bennett's lawyer, John Struthers, grilled McIvor --
revealing a number of gaps in her testimony.

"Initially she said she was in the kitchen and observed the drugs being
pulled out. By the end of her testimony she couldn't be sure if she was in
the kitchen or that she made any of the observations she claimed to,"
Struthers said after court.

McIvor's notes also weren't kept in accordance with Police Act rules and
weren't signed off by the officer in charge, Struthers said.

"There was evidence she was keeping a second set of notes and she was using
other police officers' notes to make up her notes," Struthers said.

Checked-by: derek rea