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The Waltons in turn hired police officers to keep tabs on her and provide information from service computer data systems.

Love said significant punishments are warranted because of the impact their crimes have had on public confidence in the police department.

“The focus of sentencing must be to send a message to the offenders,” Love told Justice Glen Poelman.

“The circumstances here, boiled down to its core, involves a man with immense resources employing a retired CPS detective to execute an organized and protracted campaign of harassment against a former domestic partner,” she said.

Photo by Jim Wells / Postmedia

“That retired police officer was involved in carrying out the campaign. He and his wife, she to a lesser extent, then in turn hire other experienced police officers to facilitate the offence.

“A just and proper sentence must be one that demonstrates to the public that using police officers to affect any criminal enterprise and bribing them to do so will be given the most serious consideration by our courts.”

Love said the stalking was well planned and carried out for a considerable period.

“The criminal harassment was a well-organized, multifaceted campaign … to scare and intimidate Ms. Taylor.”

But the lawyers for the three offenders said lesser terms were warranted.

Defence counsel Gavin Wolch, who represents Carter, said his client has since attempted to patch things up with Taylor, who refused to show up to testify against him.

Wolch said a fit sentence would be a suspended sentence with probation, or at worst a conditional sentence to be served in the community.

If jail is necessary, he told Poelman, the maximum should be 15 months.

Lawyer Alain Hepner, who represents both Waltons said a conditional sentenced for her and no more than 15 month jail for him on the bribery charge would be warranted, plus 15 months for criminal harassment.

Poelman reserved his decision.

KMartin@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @KMartinCourts