Dispute Over Liquor Led To Beating, Court Told

Dispute Over Liquor Led To Beating, Court Told

Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 12:10

 

 

A Battleford courtroom heard details yesterday of how a Thunderchild First Nation man was allegedly beaten to death.

 

Ashton Martell testified during the trial of 20-year-old Brett Austin Wapass.

 

Wapass is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Tristan Paddy.

 

RCMP were called to a home on the Thunderchild reserve on April 2, 2008.

 

They found Paddy dead in the kitchen of that home.

 

Martell testified that Wapass’s co-accused, Elcee Jimmy, became angry and accused Paddy of taking his bottle of liquor.

 

Martell said Jimmy punched Paddy several times and threw him to the floor head-first.

 

He said Jimmy then kicked Paddy in the head and back, as Paddy lay facedown on the floor.

 

Jimmy pleaded guilty to manslaughter in June 2008, and received a six-year sentence.

 

The trial is scheduled to last another week-and-a-half at Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench.