A picture taken hours after Barry Pruden was stabbed. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Youth accused of murder, was very drunk and aggressive recalls witness

Apr 13, 2023 | 5:29 PM

A youth accused of stabbing a man repeatedly in Prince Albert’s riverbank area had been drinking heavily that night, and had said out loud he was planning to stab someone.

Those details were included in the statement another youth had provided to police, which was played for the court this week during the murder trial at Prince Albert Provincial Court. The statement was given just two days after the May, 2022 incident that resulted in the death of Barry Pruden.

Accompanied by his aunt, the 13-year-old spoke to police for nearly two hours, and while expressing fear about being a snitch, also agreed to talk openly about what happened and gave up his right to speak to a lawyer. The police officer could also be heard on multiple occasions, advising the youth of his rights.

According to testimony heard on Wednesday, Pruden and his daughter had ridden their bikes to Georgie’s to buy a pipe so they could smoke drugs and then were going to a friend of her dad’s.

While in the area behind the provincial court house, they were approached by a group of strangers.

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Soon after a confrontation occurred that would result in Pruden being taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

According to a GoFundMe, Barry Keith Pruden leaves behind three children and two granddaughters. (GoFundMe)

Speaking with police, the youth explained how they had initially come from the area behind A&W, and had given someone money to buy them alcohol at Georgie’s. The youth explained the accused, who was 15 at the time, started acting crazy.

“I’m gonna attack someone tonight,” the youth recalled the accused saying, adding he had tried to tell the accused to chill.

“He actually did it though. I can’t believe that.”

The youth proceeded to explain how Pruden was stabbed in the head and chest areas, before falling to the ground and then multiple people began to assault him. The youth also recalled how Pruden was swinging something like a garden tool.

“I think that guy was trying to fight for his life”

Following the assault, the youth said everyone scattered like cockroaches, including the accused who had ridden off on Pruden’s bike.

“It seemed like (He) was stabbing him multiple times. It looked like he was trying to kill him for real,” said the youth.

The youth also denied any participation in the assault, although he admitted to being encouraged to take a shot.

Also included in the youth’s statement was a description of the injury the accused suffered during the confrontation, adding a picture of the injured hand was posted to social media, with a claim he was going to jail for seven years, followed by a sad emoji.

The social media post was soon after taken down.

While the video statement was being played for the court, the youth, who had been subpoenaed the previous night, suddenly got up from the witness stand and stormed out of the courtroom. He was overheard saying he was not going to testify.

When he returned to court later, accompanied by a family member, he was advised he would be arrested if he failed to testify, and the youth agreed to watch the remainder of the statement.

However, when it came time to be cross examined Wednesday morning, the youth was nowhere to be found and a bench warrant was issued.

With the youth’s return uncertain, and ability to be cross-examined also not guaranteed, a decision had to be made whether to admit the video statement as evidence.

While acknowledging inconsistencies in the youth’s statement, Crown Prosecutor Cam Scott argued it was still reliable enough and was supported by other evidence that also placed the accused at the scene (DNA from blood samples).

Judge Daunt ultimately agreed to include the statement as trial evidence.

The young witness was the Crown’s final witness and the trial has been adjourned to Friday morning. At that time the youth’s lawyer will advise the court whether she intends to introduce any evidence.

A second youth charged in the case awaits trial at the Court of King’s Bench.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell