A Hamilton police officer testified Tuesday he was “shocked” when he found out suspended Det. Const. Craig Ruthowsky took a cocaine cutting agent to a private lab for testing on behalf of a drug dealer.

That was “not within the norm” of police policies and procedures, Sgt. James Paterson told an Ontario Superior Court jury.

When asked to explain the unorthodox practice, Ruthowsky told him he was trying to persuade a dealer he was a “dirty cop” so he, in turn, would lead him to a major drug importer, Paterson testified.

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Trial hears cop tipped off drug dealers in exchange for cash

The Crown, which opened its case Monday, alleges Ruthowsky shared sensitive police information with Hamilton-based drug dealers in return for monthly $20,000 cash payments. The tips purportedly included times and locations of search warrants, the identity of confidential informants and other information to help the traffickers evade detection and prosecution.

Ruthowsky was charged with criminal offences after he was captured on Toronto police wiretaps talking to drug dealers in 2015. He has pleaded not guilty to breach of trust, bribery, obstruct justice, drug trafficking, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

Paterson, who was the Crown’s first witness, also had positive things to say about someone he described as his one-time best friend.

Ruthowsky and Paterson, both in their 40s, had a long history. They shared a townhouse when they were rookie cops, socialized after the two men got married and started families, and later worked together in the guns and gangs unit, where Paterson was Ruthowsky’s supervisor.

Before his arrest, Ruthowsky was one of the “driving forces” in the Hamilton Police Service’s guns and gang unit, Paterson said.

“He was getting guns and drugs off the street at a much higher rate than any other individual in that crew,” Ruthowsky’s defence lawyer, Greg Lafontaine, asked Paterson during cross-examination.

“That’s fair to say,” replied Paterson.

“For those reasons you cut him a little bit of slack with respect to some of the rules and the regulations, right sir?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not talking about crimes or Criminal Code charges or anything like that.”

Paterson agreed.

Lafontaine asked Paterson to confirm, which he did, that Ruthowsky had extra money coming in from installing swimming pools — many in the backyards of homes belonging to Hamilton police officers.

The Crown intends to present evidence showing Ruthowsky’s family net worth increased by at least $25,000 annually due to “unknown sources of income.”

Paterson agreed with Lafontaine’s suggestion that Ruthowsky lived on a street in a neighbourhood where at least three Hamilton officers lived.

“So it’s consistent with where other individuals lived ... earning the same salary as my client,” Lafontaine said, noting Ruthowsky is also not the sole breadwinner in the family. His wife is a senior Hamilton police officer.

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Paterson also agreed with the defence lawyer that Ruthowsky was not an extravagant individual. He didn’t take exotic European vacations or buy luxury items.

“No Mercedes here, nothing like that, right,” Lafontaine said. Paterson agreed.

The trial continues.