By Spencer Sterritt

Leslie Black takes witness stand in expungement hearing

Apr 13, 2016 | 12:42 PM

The court case of Leslie Black continued today at Prince Albert Provincial Court, as he tries to have his previous guilty plea expunged from his record.

Black said he had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Marlene Bird on April 28, 2015, because he “just wanted to get it over with.” During his previous encounters with the justice system, Black said he normally pleaded to lesser charges and went on his way.

He also said statements in the agreed statement of facts were inaccurate, and that he did not burn Marlene Bird after stomping her face in the parking lot of the Margo Fournier Centre on June 1, 2014.

However, Black admitted he never brought up those concerns with Adam Masiowski, his lawyer at the time.

Much of the morning was spent on Black’s personal history. He told the judge he witnessed his mother’s death at the hands of her boyfriend when he was nine-years-old, and began abusing drugs and alcohol at 14.

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When pressed why he had entered a guilty plea, Black said Masiowski had told him that of his two charges, attempted murder and aggravated sexual assault, attempted murder was the lesser charge.

Black said he’d thought he would get a medium sentence of no longer than five years, and after his release would be able to move on from the incident.

Masiowski will take the witness stand in the afternoon.

paNOW will have updates from the trial.

ssterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit