Jury deliberations underway in Overbrook murder trial
The fate of an Ottawa man charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault is in the hands of a jury.
Nick Vanasse is charged in the fatal 2019 stabbing of Steven Butler in Overbrook. Butler's son Bradley was also injured in the incident.
On Wednesday, members of Butler's family linked arms in solidarity as they approached the Ottawa Courthouse on Elgin Street.
"It's been really trying on all of us and for so many years," said Butler's sister Sandra Ross. "We're hoping this will come to an end, we'll have some justice and our family can finally move forward."
The Crown contends Vanasse, who it says was armed with a BB gun and knife, taunted the Butlers outside their home and provoked a confrontation. It also alleges Vanasse deliberately plunged a knife into Butler's chest.
Vanasse's defence lawyer Michael Smith argued in court that Vanasse acted in self-defence and alleged he didn't stab Butler until he said Butler lunged at him.
"He was a kind man, a gentle man, an Anishinaabe man proud of his heritage and his culture," said Ross of her brother. "He lived for family, he loved for family. He wasn't a violent man, he wasn't an aggressive man.
In his nearly three-hour charge to the jury, Superior Court Justice Kevin Philips told jurors in order to convict, they have to unanimously agree the Crown proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The jury is sequestered as it deliberates.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.