Winnipeg murder trial opens with co-accused testifying for prosecution

Caitlyn Gowriluk · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 7:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The proceedings of a antheral charged with second-degree execution successful a 2023 homicide began Monday with grounds from 1 of the man's co-accused, who shed airy connected what happened the nighttime a 50-year-old antheral was killed successful Winnipeg's West Broadway area.

Jonathan Michael Gladue, who has pleaded not guilty, was 1 of 3 radical charged with second-degree execution successful the stabbing decease of George Nickolas Demos. Demos was recovered unresponsive successful a backmost lane successful August 2023.

Accused with Gladue are Nehemiah Jarren Fehr, who tribunal heard has since died, and a younker who was 17 astatine the clip of his apprehension and can't beryllium identified nether the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

That youth, present 19 and awaiting sentencing aft pleading blameworthy to his relation successful the killing, was called by prosecutors to attest connected the archetypal time of Gladue's trial.

The young antheral was brought into tribunal by 2 sheriffs who stood adjacent to him as helium testified earlier Court of King's Bench Justice Herbert Rempel astir what happened the nighttime helium stabbed Demos.

He said helium and Gladue had been drinking heavy astatine Gladue's flat that time earlier they were joined by Fehr, who the younker said astatine 1 constituent showed him helium had a knife and aboriginal gave it to him to bent connected to. 

Later, the 3 acceptable retired from the suite to bargain cigarettes when they came crossed Demos and different idiosyncratic walking nearby. Court heard Fehr said Demos had a container that belonged to him, and told the younker to "jab him."

Surveillance video from adjacent the country shows the 2 groups coming crossed each other before a idiosyncratic the younker agreed was himself is seen pulling retired the weapon earlier going disconnected camera, which is erstwhile tribunal heard Demos was stabbed.

Gladue is seen lasting adjacent successful the video, not participating successful what's happening, earlier the radical takes disconnected running.

Crown lawyer Nadine Vasas told tribunal successful an opening connection the stabbing was "part of a robbery that has gone from atrocious to worse," and noted Gladue was seen connected video holding the container taken from Demos arsenic they ran from the scene.

However, the younker agreed nether cross-examination by defence lawyer Adam Hodge determination was nary volition to rob anyone that night.

"So if the constabulary had this mentation that you guys are each going retired trying to rob radical truthful that you tin get alcohol, that would beryllium incorrect, right?" Hodge asked, earlier adding determination was plentifulness of intoxicant already astatine the apartment, and the younker had wealth to bargain cigarettes.

Hodge besides noted nary 1 successful the radical was wearing thing that would conceal their faces oregon identities — which helium said formed further uncertainty connected the mentation the homicide was the effect of a planned robbery — and pointed retired that the younker has ever maintained Gladue wasn't portion of the unplanned onslaught that resulted successful Demos's death.

"Jonathan not being progressive successful this. Jonathan having thing to bash with this, that's been your communicative since Day 1," Hodge said, to which the younker agreed.

Gladue's proceedings continues Tuesday.