Morrisroe terrified to appear
in court
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Tami Morrisroe is terrified. Morrisroe is living in the witness protection program somewhere in North America after working undercover for the RCMP. Today, she'll appear in a courtroom somewhere in Canada in an attempt to get her father Sid out of prison. He was convicted in the 1984 murder of Penthouse owner Joe Philliponi. It will be the first public appearance for Morrisroe, 26, since her story was revealed in a Bob Stall column May 30. "I'm very, very frightened," said Morrisroe in a telephone conversation from an undisclosed location. "I'm concerned about them finding out where I am." Morrisroe said she will be under heavy police protection when she appears in court. And a court spokesman said there will be heavy security there as well. The Province has chosen not to reveal the name or location of the court, in order to protect Morrisroe. In Stall's exclusive story, Morrisroe outlined how she infiltrated a criminal organization with links to Lower Mainland murders and an international drug cartel while wired for the RCMP. Her husband, Salvatore Ciancio, was arrested and charged with six weapons offences, including 9-mm Makarov pistol, a .380-calibre automatic handgun, and a Stoeger automatic pistol. The Crown alleges the weapons possession breached a court order prohibiting Ciancio from possessing firearms or ammunition. Ciancio received the 10-year firearms prohibition and a four-year sentence in a 1991 conviction following a shootout with police in Surrey. Morrisroe said she married Ciancio after he told her Sid had been framed in the Philliponi murder. Ciancio was in the same prison with Sid when the pair met. Morrisroe said she wanted to get the tale of the setup on tape to take to the justice ministry in an effort to get a new trial for her father. Today, she's expected to appeal to have her father released under two sections of the Criminal Code as part of her ongoing attempt to have him join her |
