By Troy Gillard

trial continues

Woman says boyfriend encouraged her to report Red Deer Mountie for sexual assault

Jun 18, 2019 | 8:57 PM

Testimony continued Tuesday in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on day two of the trial for a Red Deer RCMP officer charged with sexual assault.

Melissa Heinrichs, 22, says it was her boyfriend at the time that encouraged her to report Cst. Jason Tress for allegedly asking her to lift her shirt and show her breasts while in custody.

Both Heinrichs and the boyfriend, Keifer Collins, admitted Tuesday that the motivation for doing so was the possibility that charges against him might be dropped.

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The pair was arrested at a hotel in south Red Deer on the afternoon of July 1, 2016 when an employee noticed a firearm in their room and called police.

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RCMP responded and found a pair of rifles Collins stashed in a nearby stairwell after learning police were on the way.

For the second straight day, defence lawyer Robb Beeman grilled Heinrichs over her recollection of what happened after she was arrested.

On Monday, Heinrichs told court she was wearing a cutoff shirt and short shorts that day. On Tuesday, however, video of her approx. 90-minute interview with Tress showed she was wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

Beeman also challenged Heinrichs over how many times she claimed Tress asked her to lift her shirt.

“You’re under oath. Was it once, twice, three times, or never? It was never, wasn’t it?” Beeman suggested.

“You know that’s not true,” Heinrichs replied angrily.

Collins told court he remembered Heinrichs calling him while he was in custody at the Red Deer Remand Centre. He recalled her telling him Tress asked her to lift her shirt twice – once inside a police vehicle and again inside a room at the downtown Red Deer RCMP detachment.

He admitted to Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou that reporting Tress provided a “glimmer of hope he could get out.”

The charges against Collins were eventually dropped five months later. He said wasn’t sure why.

Tress is also charged with breach of trust in relation to the incident. Trial continues Wednesday with six more witnesses scheduled to testify.