Jury hears statements given by witness now deceased

Aged just 16, Raina Joyea died in January 2016, approximately three months after her cousin was involved in an incident in which 27-year-old Justin Crowe was killed.

On Tuesday, jurors at 23-year-old Tia Justice Pinacie-Littlechief ’s second-degree murder trial heard from Joyea through several statements she provided to police — the last just weeks before her death.

Pinacie-Littlechief claims she acted in self-defence when, in the early-morning hours of Oct. 27, 2015, she pulled a knife on Crowe, who she testified had become angry and violent.

Most of the witnesses called by the Crown testified they either hadn’t seen the stabbing or were too intoxicated to remember the events surrounding the incident.

Joyea’s statements were largely similar, the teenager telling RCMP members she experienced an alcohol-induced blackout that night.

But, after repeated prodding by police for further information, Joyea told police someone — Crowe, she believed — had banged her head against the ground.

“I just felt my head on fire,” she said in a videotaped statement provided on Jan. 2, 2016.

“I just felt like I had to get out of there ... I don’t really remember much after that. I just remember feeling scared and the ambulance coming.”

In the days immediately following the stabbing, Joyea had insisted to RCMP Major Crimes members she couldn’t remember much of the incident, stating she blacked out prior to crucial events.

“It feels like I was sleeping or something, but just with no dreams or anything,” she said.

Police interviewing her told her they thought she knew more than she was saying.

“Why wouldn’t I be talking about it?” she said. “I’d be helping Tia.”

When questioned on why her cousin might have stabbed Crowe, Joyea responded, “He’s a big guy. She can’t fight him back.”

“Tia’s a good girl, or whatever,” she said.

“I’ve known her all my life ... She must have thought she was in danger. She’s my older cousin and she would stand up for me.”

Joyea was in hospital for the first two of her statements, having suffered a head injury. According to Pinacie-Littlechief — who took the stand Monday — Joyea was badly injured when Crowe attacked the two of them as the cousins tried to come to the aid of a third female Pinacie-Littlechief said Crowe assaulted.

While Crown witnesses denied Crowe was violent that night, or said they had no memory of events, an RCMP officer called by co-defence counsel Ian McKay and Heather Ferg told the court a friend of Crowe’s made a comment to the contrary.

“(Henry Thorn said) Justin had a short temper and that he has hit girls before,” Const. Anthony Bear said of a comment made following Thorn’s videotaped statement to police.

Thorn previously testified that he didn’t remember saying that.

During cross-examination by Crown prosecutor Mitchell Miller, Bear said he didn’t make note of any injuries to Thorn’s girlfriend — the other woman Pinacie-Littlechief alleged Crowe attacked that night.

The jury is to hear closing arguments Wednesday and Justice Jeff Kalmakoff is expected to provide final instructions on Thursday, following which jurors will begin deliberating.