Investigation of B.C. escort accused of drugging, stealing from clients was 'sloppy' and 'reckless': judge

The investigation into allegations a B.C. woman drugged and stole from men who hired her as an escort – leaving one victim dead – was marked by "professional negligence, recklessness, and operational failures," according to a judge.

The investigation into allegations a B.C. woman drugged and stole from men who hired her as an escort – leaving one victim dead – was marked by “professional negligence, recklessness, and operational failures,” according to recently published court documents.

Judge Mark Jette made his comments on the conduct of police when sentencing Jessica Kane, who pleaded guilty to six counts of theft over $5,000 in April of this year. Kane was originally charged with 21 crimes.

The additional 15 charges – one count of manslaughter, seven counts of administering a drug to commit an indictable offence, four counts of fraud, two counts of extortion and one additional count of theft over $5,000 – were stayed after the sentencing.

“The Crown’s theory was that Ms. Kane, while working as an escort, drugged a series of clients, then stole their personal property and/or monies from bank and credit card accounts,” the Aug. 30 decision said.

In an agreed upon statement of facts, Kane admitted to thefts totalling a combined $92,650, including one instance where she took $50,000 in cash from one man’s closet. All six victims were men who had contacted Kane through the website LeoList with the intention of paying her and an unnamed second woman for sexual services.

“Ms. Kane admits that five of the named victims were highly intoxicated, and a sixth was in medical distress when she committed the theft offences,” the decision said, adding that Kane did not admit to drugging the men and that the agreed upon statement of facts was “silent” on the question of whether she provided the men with sexual services.

The guilty pleas came after a series of pre-trial hearings in which Jette identified 20 separate breaches of Kane’s Charter rights during the course of an 18-month investigation.