The Ottawa Police Service has hired local law firm Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall to assist its discreditable conduct case against detective Helen Grus. On Monday, day 15 of Grus’ disciplinary tribunal, it was learned that firm partners Jessica Barrow and Lynda Bordeleau – former OPS chief Charles Bordeleau’s wife – have joined the prosecution.

They were retained by OPS after Grus’ defence team of Bath-Sheba van den Berg and Blair Ector filed a motion to have police’s lead counsel, Vanessa Stewart, tossed from the case for professional misconduct. During cross-examination of a defence witness last January, Stewart compared Grus’ calm demeanour to that of serial rapist and double murderer Russell Williams.