Former police officer committed “discreditable conduct” in Lake Country woman’s murder investigation

A one-day suspension isn’t enough for the former RCMP officer who allegedly meddled in an homicide investigation after a Lake Country woman's death.

Sgt. Brian Gateley received the suspension for writing a letter to the sister of a woman who drowned in 2016 while the death was being investigated as murder in February 2021.

A civil suit from 2021 describes other allegations of wrongdoing related to the investigation.

On April 21, 2022, Sgt. Gateley was deemed to have committed "discreditable conduct" in an investigation by the Vancouver Police Department and given a one-day suspicion without pay by the discipline authority.

But that wasn’t enough for the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.

READ MORE: Family of Lake Country nurse who drowned in 2016 incident turns national focus to case

Sgt. Gateley’s actions were described as serious and “in direct contradiction to the express direction of his superiors,” according to the commissioner's review of the matter published June 30.

It added that he was a mature officer who clearly knew the implications of his actions.

And the one-day suspension isn’t severe enough.

“The low level of disciplinary and corrective measures proposed by the Discipline Authority are not proportionate to the seriousness of the misconduct in all the circumstances …” the review reads

Retired supreme court judge James Threlfall has been appointed as adjudicator in the next proceedings.

The investigation is related to Arlene Westervelt, who died after a canoe she was in with her husband capsized in Okanagan Lake. Her husband Lambertus Westervelt was accused of murder years later. Those charges were eventually stayed.

READ MORE: 'Bungled': Sister of drowned Lake Country woman demands more as coroner re-opens investigation

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