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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-10-05, Page 12V1 -7M<• i ...'..IJ1 . ... • ..] .... ..I4 .41 12 - October 5, 2005 • The Huron Expositor News Sampa must wait until Nov. 1 for verdict Brian Shypula A Mitchell high school teacher accused of hav- ing sex with two students will have to wait until Nov 1 to learn his fate. Justice George Brophy reserved judgment yes- terday following a full day of testimony in Stratford Provincial Court, saying he wanted time to weigh the evidence in the case against James Sampa before making a decision. A crowd of more than a dozen of Mr. Sampa's supporters, including family and friends, groaned when it appeared the accused would have to wait until the next scheduled court date in December for the verdict. The judge also wanted a quicker resolution. Justice Brophy, defense counsel and the Crown attorney briefly considered the option of moving the venue to the judge's home jurisdiction of Walkerton before deciding on Nov. 1 in Stratford. The judge said he would begin court an hour early that day, at 9 a.m., before heading to Goderich to preside over youth court. Sampa's trial, picked up last week from July 14, concluded with testimony from seven wit- nesses and closing arguments from defense counsel. 'Howard Rubel and Crown attorney Denis Harrison. The 47 -year-old Mitchell District High School teacher and volleyball coach is accused of three counts of sexual exploitation for having sex with two female students at the school in 2004. The students cannot be named under a court order. In earlier testimony, Mr. Sampa denied having sex with the students, saying there was nothing more between them than a student -teacher rela- tionship. The girls testified earlier that they had con- sensual sex with the teacher, each losing her vir- ginity. The younger student said it was in the back of the teacher's rental car at her parent's home. The older student said she had sex with the teacher in the male coaches' office after an evening volleyball practice. Testimony yesterday from the accused's wife Cheryl -Ann Sampa and mother-in-law Grace Stadelbauer cast doubt on the times the girls said they had sex with the teacher. Mrs. Sampa said on the night her hus- band allegedly had sex with the older girl after a volleyball practice — June 8 2004 — he was home and had put their youngest daughter to bed by 9:20 p.m., the time Mrs. Sampa got home from a church meeting. Rubel said the accused would have had to be "quick" to make it home from a vol- leyball practice that ended at 9 p.m., put away equipment, drive seven or eight blocks home and put his eight-year-old daughter — who had been with him at the practice — to sleep by 9:20 p.m., and have sex with the student. Harrison asked Mrs. Sampa if she had discussed the case with her husband. 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All new and existing patients are welcome to book their next eye examination with Dr. Sanderson starting November 1st. 87 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario NOK 1 WO Tel: (519) 527-1240 Toll Free: (800) 793-4521 Hensall's Cheryl Heath Hensall's Iceculture Inc. is on the grow. Company founder Julian Bayley appeared before Municipality of Bluewater council Monday night to ask that the process of acquiring all of the necessary hurdles be as streamlined as possible so the company can move towards accommodating an expansion that will house a gigantic walk-in freezer and showroom. "Our intention is to build a walk-through freezer to showcase Iceculture products and more particularly, house a unique, all -Canadian was clearly told not to," said Mrs. Sampa, explaining that Rubel and a friend in policing had told her not to speak about the case with her husband. Mrs. Stadelbauer, who lives with the Sampas — testified her son-in-law was home at the time he allegedly was having sex with the younger student on Oct. 20, 2004. She testified Mr. Sampa arrived home between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and ate a dinner she had left for him while she and the youngest daughter watched Jeopardy on TV. The game show, she said, is on from 7:30-8 p.m. and she watches every night. Her son-in-law put his youngest daughter to bed when the show finished and never left the house afterward, she said. Mrs. Stadelbauer, 83, said she remembers the day well because it was a big day for her daugh- ter, who was at a dinner for the moderator of the United Church of Canada in Stratford. Her son-in-law drove his wife to the dinner in a rental car. Mrs. Stadelbauer recalled teasing him about the "dinky" rental car, a small "yellowish -gold" car with a back seat big enough to seat only a child. Court also heard from two former MDHS stu- dents, James Sheppard, the Avon Maitland District School Board's superintendent of human resources, a custodian at MDHS and a neigh- bour of the Sampas. Sampa, dressed in a suit, took notes through- out the testimony. In his closing argument, Rubel painted the young accusers as enjoying the notoriety that came from rumours of an illicit affair with a popular, older and married teacher but called their stories "mere fantasies." Harrison said although the girls liked the attention they were getting, it doesn't mean they were lying. There was no collusion between the girls in their accusations, he added. Mr. Sampa has been assigned "home duties" by the Avon Maitland District School Board. He has been working from home, pending the out- come of the case. Iceculture on the grow tourist attraction," explains Bayley's written description, which also notes the project will be a "first" in Canada. "It will also become a major tourism destination with many benefits to Hensall and the surrounding region," wrties Bayley, who also notes Iceculture's complement of 40 -plus employees will grow for the new venture. Bayley reports he has been in ongoing communication with municipal and county level officials to ensure all the ducks are in a row as the expansion moves forward. "I think it's an asset and I congratulate you on moving forward," says James Fergusson, councillor at large. Bayley says Iceculture Inc. has received approval from the Goderich-Exeter Railway to use its Hensall parking lot for visiting buses. He was also granted approval for that usage from the municipality, which also leases the site as a public parking lot. Meanwhile, county planner Sandra Weber says adminis- trators are reviewing the pro- posed addition that will require rezoning. She says the proposed zoning switch seems sound. Council will revisit the issue once the county's rec- ommendations are complete.