A drug dealer testified in Superior Court in Toronto on Tuesday that he gave his friend and partner up to $2,500 a month believing it was his share of a pay-for-protection scheme with a Hamilton police officer.

About a month after his drug trafficking partner got arrested at his Hamilton condo in 2011, the witness said he “jumped on the program” that put money in the pocket of Det.-Const. Craig Ruthowsky in return for police intelligence.

Ruthowsky, 44, is suspended from the Hamilton Police Service while he’s on trial in Toronto for corruption. He has pleaded not guilty to bribery, obstruct justice, breach of trust, trafficking and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

The witness’s name is covered under a publication ban because identifying him might reveal the identity of his partner who is the Crown’s key witness in the case.

The $2,500 contradicts his partner’s testimony last week that he collected $5,000 each from three associates, including the witness, to pay Ruthowsky $20,000 a month so they could sell drugs with impunity in Hamilton.

The witness testified Tuesday that he never gave any money directly to Ruthowsky, nor did he ever see money exchange hands, but accepted his partner’s word that they were receiving “protection ... like so if I got pulled over,” or if other police officers tried to bust them.

Crown attorney John Pollard asked the witness if Ruthowsky ever intervened to help him get out of trouble with the law.

The witness, who court heard has a lengthy criminal record, gave three examples, including once when he was pulled over by officers conducting an impaired driving spot check. He was arrested for not having a driver’s licence and possessing illicit drugs.

“They arrested me but then Craig got me bail the next day,” he testified.

Defence lawyer Greg Lafontaine pointed out that the man’s criminal record in fact showed he stayed in jail for a couple of weeks before his release. The witness said it was a short duration in any event.

And Lafontaine suggested to the witness that perhaps Ruthowsky himself may have “let you think” he was responsible for the witness’s release after talking to the prosecutor.

“Were you there when he talked to the prosecutor?” Lafontaine asked.

“No, I was not,” replied the witness, who carried a well-worn black Bible with him in court.

“Some people told you that Craig took care of it,” Lafontaine stated.

The witness agreed, saying his partner had given him that assurance.

“Do you know if ... (the man’s partner) ever actually gave any of the money that you gave him to Craig Ruthowsky?”

The witness repeated he knew because his partner told him so.

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Superior Court Justice Robert Clark several times cautioned jurors on how they are to treat the witness’s testimony:

“The only use you can make of this evidence is to have some understanding, some knowledge, of what this witness understood to be the case.”

The trial continues Wednesday.