Charges stayed against media magnate, dominatrix in alleged murder conspiracy

Charges were stayed Monday against media magnate Alex Petraitis and his former dominatrix, who were alleged to have plotted to kill his wife, as new allegations emerged against a police officer connected to the case.

Crown prosecutor Suhail Akhtar asked Ontario Superior Court Justice Ian MacDonnell that the charges – conspiracy to commit murder and counselling to commit murder – be stayed because a matter had come to the Crown's attention that prohibited proceeding. Mr. Akhtar did not reveal what "the matter" was and declined to speak to reporters.

Edward Greenspan, lawyer for Mr. Petraitis, speculated in court that the reason for the stay was connected to an OPP officer becoming romantically involved with another character in this real-life drama.

The case has been ongoing since 2004 and resulted in two mistrials. Mr. Petraitis and his former dominatrix, Sandra Rinella, were alleged to have hired a hit man to kill Mr. Petraitis's wife in 2003. The murder was never attempted and the defendants maintained that the entire plot to kill Mr. Petraitis's then spouse of 40 years was a fantasy, constructed as a role-playing scenario. Mr. Petraitis was once the president of Canadian Mass Media Inc. and a principal in Metro News Ltd.

The first mistrial was sparked by the death of a witness, Robbie Verch, shortly after he was subpoenaed by the defence. Police said at the time that no foul play was suspected.

Meanwhile, the OPP were pursuing an investigation into whether Mr. Petraitis had been extorted. The supposed hit-man in the court case was Ms. Rinella's ex-boyfriend, Kerry Anderson, who had been charged with the attempted extortion of Mr. Petraitis in 2004. Police were investigating if others were involved, including Mr. Verch, Mr. Greenspan told court.

As lawyers were preparing to go back to court for a third time, it was revealed to them this August that an officer working on the investigation, Detective Constable Claude Chartrand, was romantically involved with Mr. Verch's widow, Mr. Greenspan said. He told court the "so-called investigation" was "purported."

Had the charges not been stayed on Monday, lawyers would have gained access to files about the investigation, including the officer's disciplinary records.

"Our concerns about the lack of objectivity [of the officer's investigation]were not imaginary or speculative, they were very much real," Mr. Greenspan said.

Detective Constable Chartrand did not return requests for comment.

Inspector Dave Ross said the OPP became aware of the relationship in May and the officer was served in October with a notice of hearing for discreditable conduct for a potential conflict of interest due to a relationship with a potential witness. Detective Constable Chartrand will appear before a disciplinary board in January.

Before that notice, Detective Constable Chartrand was taken off of related investigations and an internal probe found that the completed investigations he was involved in were not compromised. One of those investigations was into Mr. Verch's death, Insp. Ross said.

"We hold our members accountable to the core value of professionalism and expect them to behave that way," Insp. Ross said.

The second mistrial in the Petraitis case was last November, when the judge declared a "reasonable apprehension of bias" toward the Crown and sent the jury home.

The testimony had included some interesting revelations about the businessman's relationship with the dominatrix. The would-be hit man, Mr. Anderson, testified that Mr. Petraitis once wore something that looked like a toga or diaper at a meeting between the two men and Ms. Rinella.

After Monday's decision, Ms. Rinella and Mr. Petraitis were smiling and chatting, visibly happy their ordeal was over.

Ms. Rinella's lawyer, Joseph Neuberger, said his client was glad to see the end of the trial, noting she had been battling cancer during the seven-year period.

Mr. Greenspan said he wouldn't speculate on whether there would be further legal action, saying time was needed to absorb all the information.

"This is the end of what has been a very long road for Alex Petraitis," Mr. Greenspan said. "For over seven years, our client has lived with these allegations and has been living under a cloud of suspicion."