Hotomani told police man was alive when she last saw him

During a lengthy videotaped statement provided to police two months after the October 2016 death of Ryan Daniel Sugar, Colinda Lee Hotomani wavered between laughter and tears.

When asked about the incident itself, she acknowledged punching Sugar and said she encouraged a man she identified as “G” in his own assault on the man. But she insisted Sugar was alive when they left.

“The reason I don’t take it so hard is because the last time I seen him, he was alive,” she told Regina Police Service Sgt. Rob Collins.

The first part of the five-hour statement was played at Regina Court of Queen’s Bench on Monday for the jury hearing the first-degree murder trial for Hotomani and Gregory James Wolfe. Hotomani, 36, and Wolfe, 26, are accused of killing 31-year-old Sugar between Oct. 4 and 5, 2016.

Court previously heard Sugar died from smoke inhalation. When his body was found in the back bedroom of a house at 1555 Mctavish St. a few days later, he also had a variety of injuries on his body.

The jury heard testimony last week from Jessica Pangman, who also faces a murder charge. Pangman told the court Wolfe and Hotomani — her aunt — assaulted Sugar, with Wolfe inflicting a number of wounds with a blade. She said once Sugar backed into the bathroom, Wolfe and Hotomani lit a fire outside the bathroom door.

Pangman said Sugar was still alive and had made it into the back bedroom by the time she, Hotomani and Wolfe left the smoky house.

During Hotomani’s statement from Dec. 9, 2016, Collins told the woman she had been implicated by Pangman, who was questioned earlier that day. The interview touched on topics such as growing up in Winnipeg, Hotomani’s one-time desire to go into the Army or police work, her passion for auto mechanics, and her struggles with drug use.

Initially conversational, Hotomani frequently interspersed her replies to Collins with relaxed laughter. Over time, with questions from Collins becoming increasingly focused on the incident itself, the mood in the interview room began to change, with Hotomani sometimes becoming emotional.

Hotomani said she’d been going through “a lot of headaches” over what had happened, adding that, “I’m trying to protect someone and they just don’t see it.”

Pangman had testified the attack on Sugar happened after her aunt told her the man had sexually assaulted the two women while they were sleeping — a claim Pangman said she is no longer so sure of.

In her statement, Hotomani initially

The reason I don’t take it so hard is because the last time I seen him, he was alive.

suggested it was Pangman who had been “freaking out” and reporting she’d been assaulted. Hotomani later told Collins she’d woken up to Sugar “pulling on my clothes,” then found Pangman naked in her room.

Hotomani said she was angry but that Sugar denied her accusation that he was “a hound.” She said “G” went with Sugar into the bathroom to confront him about the claims.

She told Collins the drinking — and ultimately the arguing — between the group continued for a while, eventually leading to “G” cutting Sugar, and Hotomani punching him. She described “G” trying to light a fire, but said Sugar was still alive when they left the house.

The jury will watch the rest of the interview on Tuesday.