'I wanted to find my daughter': Sask. mother testifies in case against ex-husband accused in abduction

The ex-wife of a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting the couple’s child in late 2021 to keep her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine testified at Regina’s Court of King’s Bench Tuesday as the trial entered its second day of proceedings.

Michael Gordon Jackson, 53, is standing trial for contravention of a custody order for withholding the then 7-year-old from November 2021 to February 2022.

The two were found in Vernon, B.C. after a Canada-wide warrant was placed on Jackson.

CTV News has decided to not use the mother’s name moving forward to protect the identity of the daughter.

According to testimony, the couple met in May 2013 at the diner the woman was working at in Carnduff, Sask. They were married in September of that year.

In April 2014, they had a daughter.

The couple separated in December 2016.

The custody order

A custody order placed by the court after the separation made the mother the primary guardian and allowed Jackson custody on long weekends and for some holidays.

“I’m not going to leave my daughter,” the mother told the court. “Ever.”

As the primary guardian, the mother also had the final say for the daughter’s health, education, extra-curricular and overall well-being.

However, the court order stated she should consult with Jackson before making certain medical decisions.

A timeline of events

The mother and local RCMP officers gave testimony in court Monday and Tuesday outlining a series of events.

According to the mother’s testimony Tuesday afternoon, the daughter was scheduled to be with Jackson at his home in Carievale, Sask. from Nov. 10, 2021 until Nov. 15, 2021.

Jackson was also responsible for picking up the child and dropping her off at the mother’s home.

The father picked up his daughter from school in Regina when scheduled but the mother claimed the child was then withheld from her for over three months.

When the child was not returned when scheduled, the girl’s mother said she reached out to Jackson asking where they were.

“[Jackson] was not going to return her,” she testified. “He told me, ‘I can pick up [the daughter] on the 20th.”

The mother agreed Jackson had very strong views about the COVID-19 vaccine and did not want the child to get the shot.

She went on to say on Nov. 19, the father reached out to her again requesting a letter saying whether or not she would vaccinate the child for COVID-19.

At the time, she said she had made no decision yet.

“I was awaiting an announcement from Saskatchewan Health,” she testified.

The mother told the court she drove to Carievale when Jackson told her to but she stopped in Carnduff, Sask. to speak to RCMP.

However, the court order in place at the time did not allow police action to apprehend the child.

“I knew there was nobody there to help me because there was no police order,” the mother said.

The mother went to Jackson’s residence but she claimed unfamiliar vehicles were in the driveway and the blinds were shut on the windows. So she did not go up to the door.

“I was scared,” she said. “I just waited in my car and was texting [Jackson], but they never came out.”

The girl’s mother said she then drove back to Regina without seeing or speaking to her daughter that day.

She testified a video call was had with Jackson and the daughter on Nov. 21, adding that was the final time they spoke until late February 2022 when the daughter and her father were found by police.

Court documents show an affidavit was filed on Nov. 22, 2021 by the mother to allow police action to apprehend the child from her father.

On Nov. 26 a Court of King’s Bench judge granted the order.

Jackson appealed the decision, staying the order until the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal lifted the stay on Dec. 8, allowing police action.

Cross examination

With Jackson representing himself in the case, Justice Heather MacMillian-Brown ruled he was not allowed to cross examine his ex-wife.

Jackson has been appointed an ‘Amicus Curiae’, or “friend of the court” to assist him through the legal process.

The Amicus is lawyer Brady Knight. He is not to assist Jackson with his defense strategy but can provide guidance on legal matters through the case.

Knight cross examined the ex-wife in Jackson’s place.

“Was it your intention to get the child vaccinated,” Knight asked the mother.

“I was going to follow the direction of the government,” she responded.

The Amacus also asked if it was the mother’s goal to get full custody of the child.

“I wanted [her] to be with her dad,” she said. “But with the circumstances, I did not have a choice.”

The child remains unvaccinated for COVID-19.

Police interaction with Jackson

Throughout the process, Carnduff RCMP had several interactions with Jackson.

Sgt. Warner Ignatiuk said there was a mutual faith built between police and Jackson.

“We wanted to open a line of communication,” Sgt. Warner testified.

“In turn, police would not execute authority that did not exist nor execute an outstanding warrant,” he said later in his testimony.

Over several weeks, the mother and RCMP followed tips on where Jackson and her daughter may have been seen.

The mother said sightings were reported in multiple communities around the province including Dilke, Bethune, Craik and Indian Head.

“If someone texted me they were [somewhere], I drove there,” the mother told the court. “I wanted to find me daughter.”

A report by Sgt. Ignatiuk written in February 2022 after the child had been located stated, “There was no danger to [the daughter] at any point.”

RCMP did not issue an amber alert at the time citing the case did not meet the criteria.

“Not often have I been involved in a time where I was given legal authority to apprehend a child by a judge,” Sgt. Ignatiuk testified.

His February report went on to say he noticed some errors or inaccuracies in a later affidavit submitted by the mother.

The trial continues Wednesday.