Court hears victim's son detail how father was attacked
A Lasalle resident who alleges his father was killed over a debt he had with a crack cocaine dealer was asked Monday whether he gave contradictory statements to police after the victim was severely beaten inside his home.
Kenny Riches told the jury hearing the first-degree murder trial of Akong Yves Fonbah that he was in shock at seeing how badly his father, George Riches, was left injured on Sept. 12, 2021, and had difficulty processing everything going on that morning in their apartment on Jean-milot St.
The Crown's theory is Fonbah, 30, killed 75-year-old George Riches because Kenny Riches owed Fonbah money for crack cocaine and he stole Fonbah's television when Fonbah refused to sell it to him until he settled the debt.
“I owed him money and I stole his TV,” Riches said while being cross-examined by defence lawyer Carine Njonang.
Riches had difficulty recalling details from the hours leading up to the attack, which took place after 1 a.m. He agreed it was “possible” he began calling Fonbah at 6:26 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2021, and that he called Fonbah up to 20 times throughout the day in an effort to convince Fonbah to sell to him.
“I was probably jonesing for crack,” said Riches, who admitted at the start of his testimony Friday that he consumes the drug daily.
The defence attorney said Riches gave contradictory statements when it came to how many men were with Fonbah when George Riches was attacked. In one statement, he said he saw two men standing on the patio outside his apartment who appeared to be with Fonbah. In another, he said there were three men. When he testified on Friday, he made the same contradiction.
Riches said he was confused at the time because one of the three men was obscured by bushes outside his apartment.
He also said his focus was on getting help for his father. He said that when he first spotted the victim, seated on the couch he normally slept on, his face was covered in blood and his forehead was open, exposing his brains.