Final Arguments Heard In Lafaver Trial

Final Arguments Heard In Lafaver Trial

Wednesday, January 07, 2009 at 13:52

 

 

The defence laid out its final arguments this morning at the trial of a 68-year-old Prince Albert man charged with the manslaughter of a Montreal Lake band member in 1975 at a remote cabin.

 

Defence lawyer Peter Burns argued that much of the evidence presented in this case couldn’t be relied upon due to the passage of time and poor memory.

 

He also said the forensic pathologist who worked on the case last year was “clearly biased” against his client, William Lafaver — and that the RCMP officer investigating the case should have done a better job of reconstructing the incident through the medical evidence that was known.

 

However, Burns added he was open to the possibility of accepting a conviction on a lesser charge.

 

Crown prosecutor Peter Ryhorchuk said he wasn’t interested in whether every single detail from the 33-year-old case was proven.

 

Rather, he said the only thing that matters, and had to be proven, is whether Lafaver unlawfully caused the death of 27-year-old Caroline Roberts.

 

In this case, he said all the evidence — including the admission by the accused himself — pointed towards an assault.

 

Lafaver has sat quietly throughout the entire proceedings without saying a word.

 

The judge has reserved his decision until February 20th.