TOFINO, B.C. — Sister Anita Tavera wants to make one thing clear: The nuns of Tofino’s Immaculate Heart Community have never received any profits from a convicted pot trafficker.
Contrary to the claims made in court during sentencing several months ago, Tavera said her order didn’t receive a donation from Matthew Williams.
“We didn’t get any money,” said Tavera, in a recent interview. “We don’t know what he’s talking about.”
A provincial court judge in Tofino, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, heard in January when Williams was being sentenced for possession for the purpose of trafficking that the 66-year-old had given the nuns some of the profits from his drug deals.
According to official court transcripts, Williams told police “he was a good liar,” and he gives “the money to the nuns and that makes him feel better about breaking the law.”
Williams pleaded guilty to the offence.
Prosecutor Todd Patola cited the donation in his sentencing submission, in which he asked for three months of jail time. Defence lawyer Randy Reiffer used the statement in his argument against incarceration.
It is unclear if the statement swayed Judge Brian Klaver. The judge made no reference to it in his reasons for sentencing Williams, a residential school survivor, to a six-month conditional sentence and 60 hours of community service.
Williams was unavailable. He lives on a remote island in Clayoquot Sound, and doesn’t have a listing in the phone book.
Tavera said the nuns received “lots of teasing” after the story made national headlines, and she wants to know why Williams made the claim and why nobody checked it out.
“We just can’t understand,” said Tavera.