The trial into the alleged harassment of a Calgary woman by the operators of a private investigative firm began Tuesday with allegations their actions were conducted in an effort to sway a custody dispute in their client’s favour.

In her opening remarks, Crown Prosecutor Katherine Love alleged Calgary businessman Ken Carter had paid $800,000 to Walton and Walton, the firm operated by Steven and Heather Walton, to discredit his former spouse, Akele Taylor, following their breakup in 2012. The couple had a young daughter and were involved in a heated dispute over custody arrangements.

Steven Walton, a retired member of the Calgary Police Service, and Heather Walton, a former civilian employee of the Calgary Police Service, allegedly hired active CPS members to assist their investigation by conducting surveillance while on-duty, accessing internal CPS computer databases, and doing side work for the firm.

An anti-corruption investigation into the actions of the Waltons, Carter and select CPS members was launched in 2014 after Taylor came forward with allegations of harassment. Charges were laid against the Waltons and Carter in 2016.

Crown Prosecutor Katherine Love told the courtroom on Tuesday that evidence would be presented in the trial that shows Taylor’s vehicle was tracked using GPS and those close to Taylor were offered money in exchange for information that could potentially prove detrimental to her character.

The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.

In April of this year, Bradford McNish, Bryan Morton and Anthony Braille, the Calgary Police Service members who allegedly acted under the direction of Walton and Walton, were convicted of their respective charges.

With files from CTV’s Brenna Rose