Mother testifies in trial of man accused of abducting child to avoid COVID-19 vaccine

Day two of the trial for Michael Gordon Jackson, a man accused of abducting his daughter to avoid a COVID-19 vaccine continued in Regina Tuesday, with his former wife taking the stand.

The 53-year-old Jackson is charged that sometime between Dec. 6, 2021 and Jan. 21, 2022, at Carievale, Sask., he contravened a custody order by taking the child with intent to keep her from her mother.

Jackson is representing himself throughout the trial.

On Tuesday afternoon, the jury heard questions thrown at Mariecar Jackson concerning their daughter.

Mariecar told the courtroom that she and Michael met in 2013 and after three and a half years of marriage, the couple separated and Mariecar became the primary parent of their daughter.

In 2019, a final custody order was put in place, which said Mariecar would have the final decision on their daughters’ well-being, but Michael would have to be consulted.

Fast forward to Nov. 10, 2021, and Mariecar said Michael picked up their daughter from school and was supposed to drop her off on Nov. 15.

She told the courtroom she was texting Michael when he said he would not be returning their daughter.

Then, on Nov. 19, Mariecar claims Michael asked her to provide a letter outlining her position on their daughter being vaccinated for COVID-19.

A few days later on Nov. 21, Mariecar had a brief phone call with their daughter. She said the last words spoken to her were, “I love you mom,” before the call was disconnected.

On Nov. 26, RCMP officers breached the door of a home in Carievale looking for Michael and their child.

Mariecar says the next time she saw her daughter was when RCMP found Michael in Vernon, B.C., on Feb. 22, 2022.

The trail will continue throughout the next two weeks, with many witnesses still set to take the stand.

&© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.