By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN
The lawyer for one of the men accused in a machete attack on a resident of a Prince George motel in August 2022 told a B.C. Supreme Court judge on Thursday, Jan. 30 that his client acted in self-defence.
Dakota Rayn Keewatin, 31, and Kerridge Andrew Lowley, 49, were charged with break and enter and aggravated assault after the Aug. 11, 2022 incident at the Econo Lodge City Centre Inn. Victim Arlen Chalifoux required extensive emergency surgery to repair serious injuries to his right arm.
In the second day of closing arguments, Jason LeBlond told Justice John Gibb-Carsley that Keewatin knocked on ChalifouxB次元官网网址檚 room 255 door and waited to be let in, only to be met with violence.
B次元官网网址淗e was, on the opening of the door by Mr. Chalifoux, immediately assaulted, bear-sprayed in the face at extremely close range,B次元官网网址� LeBlond said. B次元官网网址淪o Mr. KeewatinB次元官网网址檚 entry into the room was not at all for the purpose of committing an offence or for the purpose of simply trying to get into the room for some nefarious reasons. The entry into the room by Mr. Keewatin was necessitated by the act of Mr. Chalifoux in deploying the bear spray to him.B次元官网网址�
LeBlond also said Chalifoux used the bear spray in an effort to take the machete from Keewatin.
B次元官网网址淭here was little option that Mr. Keewatin had but to attempt to try to deprive Mr. Chalifoux of the bear spray and of the machete,B次元官网网址� LeBlond said. B次元官网网址淭hat he had a limited ability to measure the amount of force required to overcome his attacker. This will be because of the impairment of vision and heB次元官网网址檇 entered a darkened room.B次元官网网址�
Closing arguments began Tuesday, Jan. 28 with Crown prosecutor Andrea Norlund arguing that surveillance camera footage and ChalifouxB次元官网网址檚 testimony were enough to find the two men guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Norlund said the B次元官网网址渙nly reasonable conclusionB次元官网网址� is that Keewatin and Lowley were the same people who entered ChalifouxB次元官网网址檚 room and participated in the assault.
The two accused men chose not to testify in their defence during the evidence phase of the trial, which ended Dec. 5. In KeewatinB次元官网网址檚 case, LeBlond said, that B次元官网网址渟houldnB次元官网网址檛 be interpreted to his disadvantage.B次元官网网址�
Instead, he urged Gibb-Carsley to find the key Crown witnessB次元官网网址檚 testimony unreliable.
LeBlond said Chalifoux was selling drugs from the hotel room and he admitted under cross-examination to being drunk, high and paranoid on Aug. 11, 2022. On the witness stand, he B次元官网网址渄emonstrated to be a very poor historianB次元官网网址� and admitted to misleading police for fear that he would be deemed in violation of his parole.
Additionally, LeBlond pointed to ChalifouxB次元官网网址檚 criminal record, which includes a nine-year prison sentence for manslaughter. It was while serving time in a federal institution that he met Keewatin.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a criminal record that is significant because it fairly clearly lays out what Mr. Chalifoux is capable of,B次元官网网址� LeBlond said.
Closing arguments continue Jan. 31 in Prince George.
