CANADA - Pammett says he was in ‘state of shock’ after visiting house for first time two years after drug rai

OFF THE WIRE
GALEN EAGLE
 thepeterboroughexaminer.com
Examiner file photo Bob Pammett testified Wednesday in his bid to regain his seized McNamara Rd. house.

NEWMARKET — Convicted drug dealer and former biker Bob Pammett took the court on a video tour of his McNamara Rd. home Wednesday, pointing out highlights such as the solid oak wainscoting adorning his hallways, the textured ceiling in his library and the custom-ordered blue glass surrounding his indoor pool, all of which were trashed by police, he said.

The 62-year-old former Bandidos member was living with his spouse, two adult children, two young children, a maid and three dogs when police raided his south-end waterfront property March 26, 2008 as part of an undercover cocaine ring bust.
At the time of the arrest, Pammett told court he had just renovated his master bedroom and kitchen and was in the process of revamping his finished basement when the state took custody of the home after the raid.

This property is quite unique. It would be a very attractive acquisition.”
Century 21 agency Mark McCullough

After serving two years in jail on cocaine charges, Pammett was allowed to visit his home in the custody of police in June 2010. He told court he was in a “state of shock” at the condition of the home, which had dozens of holes in the walls, mouldy drywall and damage in just about every room.
A video of that visit was shown in court Wednesday as Pammett took the stand in Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket.
Wednesday’s video began with a walk through his front yard when Pammett, wearing an Outlaws motorcycle club hat, is drawn to a broken statue that sits in the north side of his property facing the Otonabee River.
“It was a three-tiered statue with a man on top of it,” he said, explaining he had bought the piece for $8,000 and had it crane-lifted into place. “It’s all smashed to pieces, every inch.”
As the camera enters the kitchen, Pammett explains the virtues of the room from the commercial deep fryer, to the oak cabinets, to the granite countertops, before commenting on the mess depicted on video.
“It’s in complete disarray,” he testified. “That was all totally renovated.”
After visiting more rooms with smashed walls and cluttered floors, the video leads to the home’s library.
“I’m pointing to the holes in the textured ceiling,” Pammett said. “When you punch a hole like that, it’s very hard to fix.”
Walking into the indoor pool area, Pammett points out his indoor koi fishpond featuring a “silent” waterfall before telling the court police killed his collection of imported palm trees.

“This was like a solarium,” he said. “We’re into flowers. This was beautiful.”

Police irreparably damaged sections of ceramic tile and crown moulding all throughout the home, he said.
“There was $16,000 worth of crown molding. It was the biggest crown molding made. It was pretty nice,” he said.
The federal Crown says the damage caused to the home was a result of judicially authorized search warrants.
In earlier testimony, Pammett explained how he had purchased the vacant land in 1988 for $120,000 in cash and planned to build a family home for his ex-spouse and three children at the time.
It took about a year to finish the 6,000-square-foot house, which sits in the floodplain.
After living in it for several years, Pammett left Peterborough for Welland, Ont. and transferred the property to his eldest son. When that son was imprisoned, the deed went to his mother. It will transfer back to him after her death, he told court.
After a decade, Pammett returned to live in his home and stayed there until his arrest in 2008.
Pammett's 87-year-old mother sat with his son Robbie in court while Pammett narrated the video.
With a 670-foot frontage onto the river, nothing in Peterborough compares to the Pammett property, a local realtor testified Wednesday morning, estimating the McNamara Rd. site to be worth $749,000 in its current state.
"This property is quite unique," said Century 21 agent Mark McCullough, who has been selling homes in Peterborough for more than 15 years.
With enough work to restore the grounds and home back to a useable state, McCullough said the property could be worth as much as $1.4 million given the right buyer with deep pockets.
“It would be a very attractive acquisition,” he said.
A Peterborough home appraiser testifying as a Crown witness in October said the property would be lucky to fetch $175,000 given the dilapidated condition of the home and the fact a great portion of the useable land is prone to flooding.
Under cross-examination, McCullough admitted he was not aware that the city had made an order prohibiting occupancy in the house on grounds it’s structurally unsafe. That order would reduce his earlier estimate, he said.
The trial resumes Thursday.
galen.eagle@sunmedia.ca