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Former Red Deer RCMP officer denies sexually assaulting colleague

Former Const. Jason Tress took the stand in his own defence on Wednesday
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Const. Jason Tress leaves Red Deer provincial court. An RCMP officer, whose name is under a publication ban, testified Tress sexually assaulted her at a party in 2012. (File photo by Advocate staff)

Warning: The following news story has graphic details

A former Mountie denied in court on Wednesday that he sexually assaulted a fellow officer at a house party in 2012.

Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou accused former Const. Jason Tress of taking the opportunity to make a pass at a drunken colleague after helping her to her bed at the March 1, 2012 party in duplex in a northwest Alberta community.

“That is incorrect,” testified Tress, who is on trial for sexual assault in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.

Papadatou put it to Tress that he put his mouth on her breast, as the woman claimed in court on Tuesday.

“That is not true,” said Tress.

The woman, whose name is under a publication ban, then repulsed him, Papadatou said.

“That never happened,” Tress responded.

“I’m going to suggest to you, sir, that you took the opportunity and seized it,” said Papadatou.

“I disagree,” Tress said.

Papadatou put it to Tress that he apologized to the woman the next morning for his actions the previous night.

“I never apologized … because nothing ever happened,” he said.

Tress testified that at a transfer party for another officer his accuser had been drinking a lot and he and another woman helped her to bed.

The other woman left to get the woman some water and Tress remained in the room. He testified that he stood in the doorway and talked to his inebriated colleague about possibly moving the party to his detachment-supplied house next door.

A few weeks after the party, Tress was transferred out of the detachment to Red Deer, where he worked for a number of years. He is no longer with the RCMP.

Tress later heard that an investigation had taken place about the incident but police determined the allegations were unfounded.

Papadatou suggested to Tress that the investigation did not go anywhere because his accuser refused to provide a statement.

“From my understanding, yes,” he replied.

Tress would later be investigated by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) and charged with sexual assault.

Defence lawyer Maurice Collard earlier asked Tress if he had any contact with his accuser after helping her into bed.

“I did not,” he testified.

Tress was asked by Collard if he made any attempts at physical contact or made verbal requests for contact.

“I did not,” Tress replied to both questions.

Tress’s wife, Rageena, testified that after working the night shift in Rocky Mountain House, where she was a police officer, she drove to her then-fiance’s home the morning after the party.

When she arrived, the woman who has accused her husband of sexual assault, texted her and asked to talk. They chatted about the party and Rageena was asked for relationship advice, she testified.

Collard asked her if she heard anything from the woman, whom both Tresses knew well, that led her to have any concerns about her husband’s conduct the previous night.

“No,” she testified.