Winnipeg murder trial opens with co-accused testifying for prosecution

The trial of a man charged with second-degree murder in a 2023 homicide began Monday with testimony from one of the man's co-accused, who shed light on what happened the night a 50-year-old man was killed in Winnipeg's West Broadway area.

Jonathan Michael Gladue, who has pleaded not guilty, was one of three people charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of George Nickolas Demos. Demos was found unresponsive in a back lane in August 2023.

Accused with Gladue are Nehemiah Jarren Fehr, who court heard has since died, and a youth who was 17 at the time of his arrest and can't be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

That youth, now 19 and awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to his role in the killing, was called by prosecutors to testify on the first day of Gladue's trial.

The young man was brought into court by two sheriffs who stood next to him as he testified before Court of King's Bench Justice Herbert Rempel about what happened the night he stabbed Demos.

He said he and Gladue had been drinking heavily at Gladue's apartment that day before they were joined by Fehr, who the youth said at one point showed him he had a knife and later gave it to him to hang on to. 

Later, the three set out from the suite to buy cigarettes when they came across Demos and another person walking nearby. Court heard Fehr said Demos had a bag that belonged to him, and told the youth to "jab him."

Surveillance video from near the scene shows the two groups coming across each other before a person the youth agreed was himself is seen pulling out the knife before going off camera, which is when court heard Demos was stabbed.

Gladue is seen standing nearby in the video, not participating in what's happening, before the group takes off running.

Crown attorney Nadine Vasas told court in an opening statement the stabbing was "part of a robbery that has gone from bad to worse," and noted Gladue was seen on video holding the bag taken from Demos as they ran from the scene.

However, the youth agreed under cross-examination by defence lawyer Adam Hodge there was no intention to rob anyone that night.

"So if the police had this theory that you guys are all going out trying to rob people so that you can get alcohol, that would be incorrect, right?" Hodge asked, before adding there was plenty of alcohol already at the apartment, and the youth had money to buy cigarettes.

Hodge also noted no one in the group was wearing anything that would conceal their faces or identities — which he said cast further doubt on the theory the homicide was the result of a planned robbery — and pointed out that the youth has always maintained Gladue wasn't part of the unplanned attack that resulted in Demos's death.

"Jonathan not being involved in this. Jonathan having nothing to do with this, that's been your story since Day 1," Hodge said, to which the youth agreed.

Gladue's trial continues Tuesday.