Murder suspect says she feared for her life
原始发布日期： 2016-02-25 发布者：李方字变大 字变小
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Murder suspect Crystal Crowchild feared for her life and killed a man she’d just had cash-for-sex with in self-defence, her defence counsel told jurors Wednesday. Jim Lutz, in his final submissions at Crowchild’s second-degree murder trial, said his client should be acquitted. “Crystal Crowchild is not guilty of murder, there’s nothing in the evidence before you that would suggest that she intended to kill Mr. (Aref) Nassereddine,” Lutz told a 12-member Court of Queen’s Bench jury. “Ms. Crowchild acted in a manner that the law allows,” Lutz said. “She defended herself in an awful situation.” Crowchild, 31, is charged with second-degree murder in the March 17, 2010, stabbing death of Nassereddine, 64. 
Aref Selman Nassereddine. Photo courtesy Calgary Police Service / Calgary Herald She earlier told court she was addicted to crack and agreed to turn to prostitution that day in order to feed her habit. She said she was offered $60 by Nassereddine to go to his southwest townhouse for sexual services. But she said after they had intercourse in his matrimonial bed — while his wife was at work and six-year-old daughter was at school — he asked for oral sex as well. When Crowchild refused and went to leave a half-naked Nassereddine followed her to the main floor of his residence and tried to stop her. Crowchild told jurors she feared for her safety and believed Nassereddine might rape her. But Crown prosecutor Vicki Faulkner, in seeking a conviction for second-degree murder, said Crowchild intentionally killed Nassereddine without any legal authority. “Common sense tells us three stab wounds to the torso is deadly,” Faulkner said, noting one wound punctured the deceased’s heart. The prosecutor suggested Crowchild lied about fearing she’d be raped, noting she never made such a claim in her police interview. “In six hours of interviews the accused did not mention the word rape once,” Faulkner said. KMartin@postmedia.com Twitter.com/@KMartinCourts (摘自Calgary Herald) |