SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A territorial court judge has dismissed charges of possession of stolen property against Lloyd Thrasher, who was on trial last week in a case of stolen laptops.

Judge Bernadette Schmaltz has dismissed charges against Lloyd Thrasher, above, who was charged with possession of stolen property in relation to a theft at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre last year. -

Judge Bernadette Schmaltz gave the decision Monday in territorial court.

Although there were many pieces of evidence, they didn't fit together, she said.

Thrasher, 29, was charged earlier this year with two counts of stolen property under $5,000 and one count of breaching a probation order.

The charges were laid after RCMP said Thrasher was found in possession of laptops believed to be related to a theft at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre in December.

Schmaltz dismissed all three counts against him this week.

While Schmaltz said she did believe Thrasher was in possession of two laptops, she could not be sure they were stolen.

The evidence presented at trial raised questions, she said, adding that while it may depict a "highly suspicious situation," she wasn't convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Thrasher stole the laptops.

The prosecution presented photos of boot prints in an attempt to link Thrasher to the theft but Schmaltz said while she was satisfied a pair of Kodiak boots presented as evidence during trial were seized from Thrasher, they weren't helpful in determining whether he stole the laptops.

Thrasher sold two laptops to Dan Hayward, owner of Dan's Place second-hand store at Centre Square Mall, but Schmaltz concluded there was no evidence these were the same laptops turned over to RCMP.

There were also contradictions about who handed the laptops over to police.

The court heard that the lead constable in the investigation of the stolen laptops did not testify at last week's trial.

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