(File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Violent Crimes

Midtown stabbing incident proceeds to trial

Apr 30, 2020 | 10:02 AM

Warning: This article contains graphic content.

When police officers arrived at a small bachelor apartment last January, they felt they were left with no other choice than to kick the door off its hinges, after hearing a woman inside was possibly in a life or death situation. The door itself was being barricaded by some unknown extra force.

This was among the testimony heard Wednesday afternoon at Prince Albert Provincial Court, as the trial for Courtney Faye Dillon got underway.

The 33-year-old is facing a charge of aggravated assault in connection to an incident Jan. 25 ., in the 200 block of 12th St. E. The victim, 24, was taken to hospital with multiple stab wounds.

“She was surprisingly calm and clear,” _{– Sgt. Eric Thiessen}

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Among Crown Prosecutor MaryAnne Larson’s first witnesses was Sgt. Eric Thiessen, who testified police were initially called around 11:30 p.m. about a disturbance. Upon arrival, the officer was informed by a resident of the building that a woman inside the apartment was bleeding out. After initial attempts to get inside failed, Thiessen said he kicked the door down.

After gaining entry, Thiessen explained he saw a woman lying on the floor near the entrance and nearby her was what looked like a small four inch kitchen knife. Thiessen also said he noticed the door had been heavily fortified by what appeared to be a metal pipe, being used to barricade it.

After making sure the woman was okay, Thiessen said he helped her up and handed her off to his partner, before taking a closer look inside the apartment as he could hear a woman crying for help.

A second woman was found in the bathroom, lying on the floor, and according to Thiessen was soaked in blood, holding a rag to her neck.

“I could see two stab wounds to the abdomen,” Thiessen said, adding the woman informed him she was also stabbed in the neck.

During his assessment, Thiessen asked the woman who had done this to her, and she replied it was the other woman found in the apartment. Soon after the first woman was arrested.

Thiessen went on to explain that while waiting for paramedics to arrive, he could see one of the stab wounds was in the woman’s belly button area and there was a piece of intestine sticking out.

“She was surprisingly calm and clear,” he said, when further asked by the Crown to comment on the woman’s condition.

Brooke McInnes, an advanced care paramedic with Parkland Ambulance was the third witness to testify. She testified when she arrived on scene, she found the woman lying on her back in the bathroom, one leg dangling in the bathtub, and there was a pool of blood around her.

McInnes explained that while the victim showed signs of being in shock, and appeared tired, she was able to say her name and knew where she was. The victim was soon after taken to hospital, and the other woman was escorted by police into custody.

During the testimony, Dillon sat in the prisoner’s box listening intently to what was being said, at times rocking side to side on her hands.

At this stage of the trial, neither the possible motive, nor the relationship between the accused and the victim has been made clear.

The trial has been adjourned to May 14 for continuation. Prior to Wednesday’s adjournment, defence lawyer Jock Kriegler told Judge Felicia Daunt he may be filing an application with regard to a possible charter challenge stemming from the arrest.

–

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell