Crown prosecutors spent nearly four weeks outlining their case against Arlan Galbraith on fraud charges, while Galbraith’s defence was comprised of one witness who spent less than an hour on the stand.
That witness was Ken Hoffman, a Heidelberg-area farmer who entered into an agreement with Galbraith’s Pigeon King International to breed 250 pairs of pigeons and housed another 350 pairs on his property.
When the trial began, Galbraith was facing one charge of criminal fraud and four offences under the Bankruptcy Act – all of which he pled not guilty to, and two of which have since been dropped.
Hoffman testified that after the company’s bankruptcy, he told police he was “a little skeptical” about the company from the beginning.
“I knew that I was assuming risk,” he said.
After the company went bankrupt, Hoffman testified, he sold about 1,000 pigeons for $2 apiece and euthanized a further 1,200.
Upon getting into pigeon breeding, he had been promised $10 for each bird.
Still, Hoffman testified that he “had a good impression” of Galbraith on a personal level, finding him “congenial”.
Asked specifically if he thought Galbraith was trying to deceive or scam him, Hoffman responded that he did not.
The case is expected to be handed over to the jury early next week.
