Trial going ahead after former cop vindicated of throwing empty bottle at Armstrong murder scene

The trial to sue the RCMP is proceeding for Milan Ilic, the former officer who was accused of being dishonest about a murder investigation involving an 18-year-old teen and an empty liquor bottle.

Ilic was the first officer to discover the teenage victim Taylor Van Diest after she was attacked near Armstrong, Oct. 31, 2011. Three years later, he found out he was being investigated for not telling the truth while testifying, according to court documents.

READ MORE: Police officer traumatized by murder of Armstrong teen sues RCMP for harassment

He filed a lawsuit against the RCMP in 2016. It was recently announced on Sept. 27 that the trial will proceed. It is scheduled to begin on Oct. 12 at the Kamloops Courthouse and expected to last 19 days.

According to a notice of civil claim from 2016, Ilic was accused of tossing an empty liquor bottle out of his pocket at the scene of the crime. A witness said they saw a water bottle get thrown but also said it could have been a box of pens. He claims to have thrown a box of pens that were in his pocket – except no pens were found at the scene of the crime, but a box of pens were later found in his jacket, which had been retained as an exhibit.

In a civil lawsuit filed in Kamloops Supreme Court, Ilic said he still suffers post-traumatic stress from that night, made worse by an internal investigation accusing him of drinking on the job and discarding a bottle of alcohol in the bushes before laying his jacket over Van Diest’s body.

The lawsuit alleges the conduct of members of the RCMP undermined the trust for Ilic’s supervisors to treat him fairly and protect his safety in the performance of his duties. The claim also states his reputation was tainted by the investigation, and colleagues at other detachments have heard he was drinking on the job.

His lawsuit accuses the RCMP of negligence and harassment.

None of these allegations have been proven in court.

READ MORE: Foerster's DNA under victim's fingernails: Crown

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