Accused ‘normal’ when buying knives, murder trial hears

Video shows Jayme Pasieka spent just 10 minutes in shop purchasing blades

The shop worker who sold knives to a man accused of stabbing six warehouse employees — two of them fatally — told a jury trial Monday the suspect was calm and patient during their retail interaction.

Jayme Pasieka, 32, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Fitzroy Harris, 50, and Thierno Bah, 41, at the Loblaw warehouse where all of them worked on Feb. 28, 2014.

Four other employees, all men, also suffered stab wounds but survived. Pasieka is also charged with four counts each of attempted murder and aggravated assault related to those attacks. The trial began Feb. 21.

On Monday, assistant chief Crown prosecutor Kim Goddard called an employee of the Supply Sergeant store in West Edmonton Mall to give evidence about selling two knives to Pasieka shortly before he arrived at the warehouse on the day of the stabbings.

The store’s assistant manager, Garry Swartz, told the jury he recognized Pasieka as a repeat customer, and that he’d also seen him around the city at rock and metal concerts.

He said Pasieka’s behaviour on the day of the attack was nothing out of the ordinary for customers of the military supply store.

“He was normal compared to other people,” Swartz said.

Swartz said Pasieka came in Feb. 28 dressed in dark clothes and looking to buy two identical Uzi-brand knives. Swartz only had one in stock, so Pasieka selected a different blade, made his purchase, and left.

Security footage shows Pasieka was in and out of the store in just over 10 minutes.

Swartz also testified that Pasieka, like other customers, held the knife to test it — making small thrust and twist motions.

Later that night, as Swartz was watching a news story about the attack at the warehouse, he saw a photo of Pasieka’s face and recognized him.

During the first week of the trial, the jury heard evidence from police officers who investigated the scene and a number of Pasieka’s former co-workers who witnessed the attack, including the four men who were stabbed but survived.

A number of photographs were entered as exhibits.

On Friday, the jury watched video surveillance clips that show Pasieka striding through his workplace, dressed in dark clothing, as people flee.

The jury trial is set to resume Wednesday.