OTTAWA — Former Mountie Kevin Gregson offered stream-of-consciousness ramblings on the stand at his trial for the murder of Ottawa Police Const. Eric Czapnik, 51.

But he had nothing to say Thursday to allegations he repeatedly raped a 10-year-old girl.

"No, I don't wish to testify," was all he told Judge Julianne Parfett after the Crown closed its case.

Gregson, who has pleaded not guilty, called no evidence at his trial on charges he raped the little girl four times in the week leading up to the fatal stabbing of Czapnik on Dec. 29, 2009.

Gregson is already serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years for first-degree murder but Parfett ruled Thursday that evidence about the killing can't be used against him at the sexual assault trial.

Parfett dismissed the Crown's contention the rapes, a carjacking and the murder were part of "a clear and palpable sequence of events" corroborating the girl's story.

"In my view the carjacking and the homicide can be excised from the sequence of events and looked at separately," Parfett ruled. "The question that has to be asked with respect to these events is: does the fact that the carjacking and homicide occurred make it more likely as a matter of human experience that the sexual assaults took place?

"The answer is obvious. No, they do not. There is no logical connection between these events."

Gregson's ex-wife testified this week that when she confronted him about the sexual assault allegations the day before the murder he denied them but said he was "done" and the RCMP would jump on them, true or not.

Gregson's father testified that later that day, his suicidal son — with slash wounds to his neck — said he'd done something "pretty stupid" and would get 10 years if convicted.

Early the next morning, Gregson donned two bulletproof vests and ambushed Czapnik outside the Civic Hospital, stabbing him to death in a struggle for the officer's gun.

When the 10-year-old girl was examined later that day, she had recent and serious "blunt, penetrating" injuries that pointed to sexual abuse, two doctors testified.

A videotape of the little girl telling a detective in graphic, disturbing detail about being raped was shown in court.

Gregson and the girl's DNA were found, along with her blood, on a mattress, a detective testified.
Closing arguments are expected Friday.

megan.gillis@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @ottawasun_megan