Surrey Six Mountie's misconduct involved boozy affair with a potential witness

A primary RCMP officer assigned to the deadliest gangland shooting in B.C. history had a months-long, alcohol-fuelled sexualaffair with a key potential witness in the case, spanning several provinces in hotel rooms paid for by the force.

Then-Sgt. Derek Brassingtondescribed it himself when he apologized during a sentencing hearing that revealed details ofthe relationship earlier this month.

"I treated her like a girlfriend," the ex-officer said through sobs in B.C. Supreme Court.

Brassington admittedspending several dozen nights with her inhotel roomspaid for by theRCMP,getting drunk and having sex during the affair in 2009. Then 39, the ex-sergeant took the witness to bars and strip clubs during nights together.

He lied to hide their relationship from most colleagues, but told the court others were well aware after a while and at least once,actively participated in the debauchery.

Brassington is one of three officers sentenced for their misconduct in the investigation this month. Two others admitted they knew about hisaffairandfailed to report it during their own hearings onWednesday.

The officers Brassington, former Staff Sgt. David Attew and suspended Cpl. Danny Michaud were charged with misconduct in 2011. They all pleaded guilty in separate hearingsthis month.

The details of the behaviour were a mystery for the better part of a decade, but details were revealed during theirhearings. Those proceedings were initially protected by a publication ban, but portions of that ban were rescinded Wednesday afternoon after a challenge from CBC News and Global News.

The Surrey Six investigation continued and resulted in five murder convictions despite the officers' conduct, but court heard the individual officers'credibilityas investigators was tarnished, and hours of police work needed to be redone.

During the hearings, the men also touched onwhat they were thinking at the time. Twosaidthey weren't thinking clearly at all, crippled by thepunishing stress and trauma of their jobs as principal investigators onhigh-profile casesto a point beyond reason.

In short, as Brassington would tellthe court through tears: "I sold my soul for this."

Colossal investigation of 6 killings

Brassington, Attew and Michaud worked with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) a speciality homicide unit made up of officers from the RCMPand municipal police.

They were working on the Surrey Six file, acolossal investigation launched after six men were shot to deathat a Surrey highrise on Oct. 19, 2007.

Attew and Brassington were principalinvestigators assigned to witness management, with Attewas Brassington's superior. Michaud worked in exhibits.

Brassington pleaded guilty to breach of trust and compromising the integrity and safety of a witness involved in the mass-murder investigation on Jan. 18.

He did so, in short, by dating her for about sixmonths.

"I treated her like a girlfriend," Brassingtontoldthe court through sobs after his sentencing. "I didn't mean to fall in love with her."

Brassington met the witness on June 6, 2009. She agreed to co-operate as a witness the next month.

Brassington, a brawnyman described by colleagues as an "all-star" investigator,wrote a report explaining how crucial the witness would be to the investigation and was assigned to manage her as a witness.

In order to keep the witnesses on board and keep them out of gang life, the Crown explained, it was necessary for RCMP officers to stay in touch as the civilians established themselves in their new, secret homes which sometimes meant flying to visit them in pairs.

At first, Brassington wouldsneak the witness back to herhotel room after his partner went to bed during those trips. They'dspendthe night together before he snuck back to his own room by morning, undetected.

Then they got bold, and the public outings to bars and strip clubsbegan.

Brassingtonalso admitted to sexual activity with a third witness on one occasion.

Officer's relationship with suspect's girlfriend

Brassington and Attew were also assigned to manage anotherwitness, identified in court documents as Person X.

Person X had confessed to his girlfriend that he was involved in theSurrey Six shootings. She encouraged him to turn himself in to police, and they both were recruited to the witness protection program.

It was Attew's job to ensure their continued co-operation, mainly by securingthe girlfriend's trust.

In April 2009, Brassington and Attewvisited PersonX's girlfriend at her new home. They got drunk at a bar and stayed until closing.

Later, Attew went to the girlfriend's hotel room alone. They ended up kissing, with Attew touching her over her clothes, but she rejected him when he tried to gofurther.

Court heard Person X nearly turned on police after he found out what Attew had done, risking his role as another key witness. He would ultimately continue to co-operate with the investigation.

Once, Brassington and Attewtook Brassington'sclandestine girlfriendto the bar where Person X's girlfriend worked. They spent $800 on alcohol that night, with Brassington's witness sitting on his lap in front of his superior officer.

Attew, whose marriage ended largely over the scandal,pleaded guilty to failing to maintain law and order in B.C., contrary to the RCMP Act, on Tuesday. He was sentenced to six monthshouse arrest with conditions.

RCMPunder enormous scrutiny

Another revelation from the sentencing hearings was that both Brassington and Attew were working on the Dziekanski investigation as well as the massive Surrey Six case.

Robert Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant to Canada, died after he was Taseredby RCMP officers at Vancouver International Airport on Oct. 14, 2007 five days before the Surrey murders.

The Dziekanski investigationbrought the force under enormous scrutiny, and Brassingtontold the court he saw the murder case as a chance at redemption.

"Instead of restoring public trust and faith in the RCMP, I killed it," he told the court through sobs during an apology.

"I am sorry to everybody in this country that looks to the police to do what's right."

Brassington's affair only ended for good when someone toldRCMPwhat was happening in the winter of 2009. He and his wife would later divorce, and he left the family home he shared with their children.

"As a dad I shouldn't have done this. As a father I shouldn't have done this. As a cop I shouldn't have done this," Brassington told the court.

The forceasked theOntario Provincial Police to investigate in February 2010.Michaud, the third officer ultimately charged, pleaded guilty to lying when he was asked if he knew abouttheaffair.

He was sentenced to three months house arreston the same offence asAttewon Tuesday.

Brassingtonwas sentenced to two yearsless a day house arrest under conditions.

Five people have been convicted in connection with the Surrey Six murders.