Accused in manslaughter denies being in apartment

A man on trial for the manslaughter of Johnathon Keenatch-Lafond says he’s never been to the apartment where the victim was fatally stabbed — even though his DNA was connected to the crime scene.

Keith Clarence Napope is accused of participating in the alleged robbery that led to Keenatch-Lafond’s death.

“I had no involvement in these allegations,” he told the jury when he took the stand on Monday in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench.

In fact, Napope said he was the one who was attacked and robbed around the time Keenatch-Lafond died in his 20th Street apartment suite on Nov. 17, 2014.

Napope testified that approximately three days after his birthday — Nov. 10, 2014 — two masked men knocked him unconscious during a street robbery in the parking lot of an apartment building on 22nd Street near Avenue O.

One man was wearing a “half mask” while the other wore a clown mask, Napope told the jury. A clown mask was found in the victim’s pocket, the trial heard.

Crown prosecutor Bryce Pashovitz suggested the first time Napope saw the clown mask was when it was entered as an exhibit. Napope said he first saw the mask the night of the robbery, and then months later as an exhibit.

The victim’s nephew, Tyrone Lafond, told defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle that the mask belonged to him. When Lafond took the stand, Pfefferle accused him of robbing Napope prior to witnessing his uncle’s stabbing, and fleeing the scene before police arrived. Lafond said that wasn’t the case.

Napope testified that when he first noticed the men in the parking lot, their heads were down.

He said he paused, the men lunged at him, and he punched the bigger man in the face before he got knocked out.

Pashovitz asked Napope why he didn’t report the robbery to police.

Napope said it’s not something he would have done.