Victim refuses to testify at trial
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The Crown’s last witness in a manslaughter trial has been cited for contempt of court after he refused to testify on Tuesday.
Talisa Brandon, 27, is on trial in Brandon’s Court of King’s Bench for manslaughter and aggravated assault after she allegedly killed Tristin Beaulieu, 23, and injured David Medicine during the same fight in Waywayseecappo First Nation on July 5, 2023.
Crown attorneys Nikki Boggs and Melania Cannon planned to call Medicine, 21, to the stand on Tuesday.
Cannon said Medicine, who is in custody at Brandon Correctional Centre, “refused to leave his cell” to be transported to court in the morning.
Medicine had been transported to the courthouse on Monday in case there had been time for him to begin his testimony that afternoon, but he refused to be brought to the courtroom.
After Cannon relayed Medicine’s refusal to leave the correctional centre on Tuesday, the court took an hour break to give Medicine’s lawyer a chance to speak with him about his rights and the consequences of not testifying.
“He indicated to (his lawyer) that he would be willing to appear by video in court but only for the purpose of telling the judge that he was not willing to testify,” Cannon told Justice Scott Abel after the break.
Cannon asked that Medicine be found in contempt. Abel cited Medicine for contempt for failing to appear in court.
After taking an extended lunch break, Cannon told the court that the Crown would make no further attempts to get Medicine to testify, and the Crown closed its case.
Defence lawyer Jonathan Richert said he anticipated that Brandon would testify on Wednesday. However, he also said the Crown “has made a new offer to resolve” the matter and wanted to give Brandon time to give “serious consideration” to it.
He asked that court be adjourned until this morning.
The trial continues.
» sanderson@brandonsun.com