Accused stands trial in stabbing five years later
Charged with first-degree murder in the swarming death of teen at downtown bar
It’s taken more than five years and involved a flight from justice to Vietnam, but Calgarian Nathan Gervais finally began standing trial Monday for murder.
Gervais pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder in the swarming death of city teen Lukas Strasser-Hird in November 2013.
Crown prosecutor Samina Dhalla, in her opening address to Court of Queen’s Bench Justice William Tilleman, said Gervais stabbed Strasser-Hird during a gang attack behind a city nightclub the morning of Nov. 23, 2013.
“The Crown anticipates you will hear evidence that there were two altercations on the evening of Lukas’s death,” Dhalla said.
“The first took place at the front of the Vinyl nightclub, a bar that used to exist in downtown Calgary, and the second took place in the back alley behind the Vinyl.”
Dhalla said the initial altercation was triggered by Strasser-Hird complaining about someone in Gervais’ group uttering a racial slur.
“Lukas told an individual in the accused’s group that he did not appreciate his use of a racial slur,” the prosecutor said.
“From here, a full on brawl ensued where a number of individuals from the accused’s group tried to hit and punch the victim. The victim was taken into the Vinyl nightclub by bouncers and was later released into the back alley behind the club,” she said.
“It was in this back alley that the victim was swarmed, viciously beat and stabbed to death.”
She said between the two altercations Gervais left the vicinity of the bar area to retrieve a weapon.
“The Crown anticipates you will hear evidence that the accused, Nathan Gervais, left the first altercation to get a knife and in the second altercation stabbed Lukas.”
Dhalla told Tilleman that Gervais was scheduled to stand trial with four other accused in May 2016, but fled the jurisdiction before jury selection.
That trial proceeded with two being convicted of second-degree murder, a third of manslaughter and a fourth was acquitted.
“Today, almost three years after the original trial was scheduled, Nathan Gervais is back before the court, and the Crown anticipates after hearing all of the evidence, the court will be able to find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Nathan Gervais is guilty of firstdegree murder.”
The trial is set to last two weeks. Meanwhile, two men charged last week with assisting Gervais’s flight from justice made brief firstcourt appearances in provincial court.
Sean Airey and Marshall Quillian both face multiple charges, including being accessories after the fact to murder.
Both men, who remain in custody, are prohibited from being in contact with each other, or Gervais.