Manslaughter trial heads to jury

PRINCE ALBERT — A fight between two men ended in tragedy two years ago, leaving one man dead and the other now facing a jury and possible incarceration for manslaughter.

The Crown and defence delivered closing arguments to a jury Thursday at Prince Albert Court of Queen’s Bench in the case against Dexter Ermine. The 31-year-old is on trial for manslaughter in the August 2011 stabbing death of Dereck Michael Morin on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation northwest of Prince Albert. Ermine’s trial began Monday.

The Crown alleges Ermine stabbed Morin in retaliation for a fight that happened earlier in the evening between Morin and Ermine’s younger brother. Prosecutor John Morrall said Ermine had said he was going to “stick up” for his brother and later confronted Morin with a knife.

Morin also carried a knife, the court heard.

“When you bring a knife to a fight, you bring it to use it. It’s not for self-defence, it’s so you can use it,” Morrall said.

Morin’s body was found in a ditch on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation at about 9 a.m. Aug. 20, 2011.

The Crown alleges the fight with Ermine happened the previous evening, and that Morin walked two kilometres after he was stabbed before collapsing.

Ermine’s defence lawyer told the jury Thursday that Morin was looking for a fight and was the first to pull a knife. Saskatoon lawyer Brian Pfefferle said there is no direct evidence Ermine ever had a knife and no knife was found at the scene of the fight. Pfefferle said Morin had gang affiliations and had been violent with his girlfriend and the mother of his children, Michelle Charles.

Pfefferle said the Ermine brothers had been concerned for Charles on the night of Morin’s death after witnessing an altercation between the couple.

On the witness stand, Charles minimized Morin’s violent behaviour, including an attack that left her with a broken leg.

“Whatever lens she views the world through, whatever messed-up lens that is, is that reliable?” Pfefferle asked.

“It’s important who pulled the knife. Derek Morin pulls the knife.”