A Victoria drug trafficker has been found guilty on a number of charges relating to the drug trade.
According to a judgment posted this week, Horst Schirmer was convicted on seven charges, for the possession of cannabis, GHB (a common date rape drug), cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, along with possessing brass knuckles, which are a prohibited weapon.
In August 2019, the Victoria Police Department was watching Schirmer in the front passenger seat of a white van, which they followed from Cobble Hill to Langford. When they tried to pull the van over, it stopped briefly before fleeing the scene. Police then followed the vehicle to a dead-end road in Langford, when Schirmer jumped out of the passenger seat and ran off between some houses while the driver was arrested at the scene. A neighbour watched the man who was fleeing stash a black bag in some bushes before running away.
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Schirmer then tried to hide in the back of Re-Buy-Cycle Shop, telling the staff that he would “give you $1,000 to close your doors right now.”
Police found Schirmer hiding in a back storage room of the bike shop and arrested him.
The bag, later found and seized by police, contained large quantities of drugs and trafficking paraphernalia. In the van, which was also seized, a Gatorade bottle two-thirds full of GHB was discovered, and in his wallet police found $3,500 in cash, along with five pieces of paper with writing on them — one of which was the recipe for GHB and the others were drug score sheets.
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Corey Jackson, a man who was incarcerated with Schirmer told the courts he went to party with him in the early morning hours of the day in question, bringing the satchel of drugs — identified as the one found in the bushes — and testifying all the drugs in it were his.
“He bought them from Mike, last name unknown, a couple of days before. They were worth about $30,000. Mike fronted them to him. Mr. Jackson did not make note of exactly what drugs or how much he got from Mike. He said Mike would tell him how much he owed later,” reads the judgment.
Jackson told the courts the pair went to Cobble Hill where they drank, did cocaine and smoked weed. Jackson testified Schirmer called “a guy” to pick them up, who arrived in a white van.
“Overall, I find Mr. Jackson’s evidence incredible. He remembers details one would not expect him to remember … and has no memory of things that should have been of significance to him (the drugs). It is noteworthy that the evidence that he is clear on was either the subject of evidence or photographs,” stated Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray.
“In my view, Mr. Jackson’s evidence was completely fabricated. I do not accept that the bag of drugs was his. I do not accept that he was in the van. I do not believe that he had anything to do with this matter. In fact, I am satisfied that Mr. Jackson’s testimony was fed to him by Mr. Schirmer with the help of transcripts and photographs. I reject all of Mr. Jackson’s evidence.”
Schirmer will be sentenced on March 26.
kendra.crighton@blackpress.caFollow us on Instagram
