After husband's public outburst, Andrea Giesbrecht's son testifies he never saw his mother pregnant
WARNING: This story contains graphic details
Andrea Giesbrecht's son testified at her trial on Monday, saying he doesn't remember seeing his mother pregnant and he never noticed changes in her weight.
Giesbrecht is accused of concealing the remains of six infants in a U-Haul storage locker. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.
During a break in Monday's proceedings, Giesbrecht's husband, Jeremy Giesbrecht, burst into the largely empty gallery, shouting at prosecutor Debbie Buors in protest of her decision to call his son as a witness.
"We have a right not to answer your questions," he said before leaving the courtroom.
The husband later told CBC he was upset because the prosecutor was speaking with his son before his testimony.
The trial resumed with Giesbrecht's son, whose name is protected under a publication ban, in the witness box.
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The young man was calm and did not appear nervous when he testified.
Buors asked about who came and went from his parents' home before he moved out in 2014. The son said a cousin lived with the family for a short time and he had female friends who stayed at the house.
Giesbrecht's lawyer asked her son about the bathroom off the master bedroom in the home. The son said other women used it because of plumbing issues elsewhere in the house.
In April, the trial heard a forensic biologist testify the remains have been linked to DNA found on a soiled sanitary napkin that was in Giesbrecht's home. It has also been determined that the biological father of the infants was Jeremy Giesbrecht.
Near the end of her time questioning Giesbrecht's son, prosecutor Debbie Buors asked whether the young man's father ever had "girlfriends stay at the house."
"I'm sorry to have to ask you this," Buors said before Giesbrecht's son replied by saying, "Not that I know of."
All babies likely born alive: Experts
Court previously heard from two medical experts who said it was likely that some, if not all of the babies, were born alive.
The first witness today was the operations manager of Sentinel Self Storage, Karen Bodoano. Although based out of Alberta, there are two stores in Winnipeg. It is a different storage company than the one where the remains were found.
Court heard that Bodoana first started dealing with Giesbrecht in 1999. She told court that Giesbrecht rented a locker for about eight or ten years and, referencing an activity log, Bodoana said it was used several times.
Giesbrecht was late on her payments the month after she rented the locker in 1999 and was consistently late until she moved her belongings out of the locker in 2008, Bodoana told the court. Giesbrecht began renting a locker again in 2010.
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During cross-examination, defence lawyer Greg Brodsky asked Bodoana whether she has seen the contents of Giesbrecht's storage locker.
"It was an anomaly that there was few items in the storage unit, so it stood out," Bodoana responded. "I saw two totes with their lids and I saw a pail on the right-hand side of them."
Brodsky went on to ask why Giesbrecht would need the space for so few items. Bodoana told the court that Giesbrecht had told different storage unit staff members that it was filled with things she couldn't keep at home like jewellery.
When asked if that was unusual, Bodoana responded, "Yes it's unusual."
Court previously heard that U-Haul employees, associated with a separate storage company, made the grim discovery in October 2014 when they went in to clear out Giesbrecht's locker because rental payments had not been made.
Her husband is also expected to testify this week.
The trial had been on hold since late April due to scheduling conflicts.