The second degree murder trial of Keegan Nelson-Smith heard from another witness Thursday morning.
Dennis Nelson-Mcleod was on the stand for a second day of testimony. Previously Nelson-Mcleod, who testified he is related to the accused, said he saw the accused wearing spandex like underwear the day after victim Muhammad Venne was stabbed outside a party in Bell’s Point in June of 2020. The day before he’d testified Nelson-Smith had been wearing a jacket on the night of the stabbing. Nelson-Mcleod as well positively identified Nelson-Smith as being the person seated in the prisoner’s box in court.
On cross examination the defense spent a lot of time bringing up the fact that the witness had been drinking heavily and also smoked cannabis on the day in question. Nelson-Smith’s lawyer as well brought up that Nelson-Mcleod had been involved in a fight with two people who had come to the party with Venne. The defense also said that people who were part of the same group as Nelson-Mcleod had been involved in confrontations with people at the gathering, which Nelson-Mcleod said he did not remember happening.
The witness was as well questioned about an accusation that he gave magic mushrooms to people at the party which caused him to have issues with someone there, an accusation which the witness denied.
“No I did not,” said Nelson-Mcleod.
The defense as well spent much time showing the witness photographs of the area and neighbourhood where the stabbing took place and asked him to identify certain locations. During cross examination the witness was asked about seeing the accused with a knife, to which he testified no.
“No I did not,” said Nelson-Mcleod.
On Wednesday a forensic pathologist testified the victim died as a result of a stab wound to the heart. The trial is set to continue into next week.
(Top Photo: Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert. Photo by Michael Joel-Hansen.)