The Deputy Chief of the Saint John Police is under criminal investigation by police in Halifax over an allegation made at the high-profile murder trial of Dennis Oland last year.
During the trial the jury heard explosive testimony from retired Staff Sergeant Michael King that before or during the preliminary inquiry McCloskey, then an Inspector, suggested that King lie about McCloskey being in the crime scene with the body of Richard Oland on Canterbury Street in uptown Saint John. McCloskey, who was promoted to Deputy Chief in January of 2015, also took the stand at the Dennis Oland trial and denied the allegation.
This investigation by the Halifax Regional Police is being conducted at the request of Saint John Police Chief John Bates.
We’re told that Deputy Chief McCloskey is currently on active duty with the Saint John Police.
Cst. Dianne Woodworth of the Halifax Regional Police says they won’t confirm the name of subject(s) of the investigation or comment on possible charges, but says in January of this year the police force “agreed to investigate an allegation of potential wrongdoing by a member of the Saint John Police Force after information came to light during the Richard Oland murder trial.”
Cst. Woodworth notes that the investigation is being conducted by investigators in the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division and it is ongoing.
