Czapnik murder trial heads into second day
Posted Feb 29, 2012 10:55:01 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The trial for Kevin Gregson continued at the Ottawa Courthouse Wednesday. Gregson is charged with first degree murder in the 2009 stabbing death of Const. Eric Czapnik.
When Const. Reinhard Lechlietner took the stand Tuesday, he described in detail the events of the morning of Dec. 2009 when he saw Const. Eric Czapnik lying bleeding and motionless on a gurney as paramedics tried to revive him.
“There was no movement, his eyes were open but there was no moving, no blinking,” he said in his testimony.
Lechleitner said he was at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus that morning working with Czapnik on a case of sexual assault. He was there to photograph the victim. While speaking with the victim’s husband he said he heard a voice read out one of the hospital’s emergency code. A voice he described as a trembling female one.
He then described a staff member at the hospital telling him a police officer had been stabbed, rushing to the emergency room and seeing Czapink. Moments later he was told the suspect was in custody outside in the ambulance bay. ??Lechleitner described seeing both doors on the driver’s side of Czapnik’s cruiser open and looking inside the back seat to see the suspect in hand cuffs and winter clothing. He was asked if he could recognize that man if he saw him again. Yes. If he could see that man in the room. Yes. He was asked then to identify the man. ??“He’s in the prisoner’s box,” said Lechleitner.
In one of four admissions made by the Crown today attorney Meaghan Cummingham explained that both the Crown and defense agree Gregson is the man who stabbed Czapnik. They also agree Gregson knew when he stabbed him that Czapnik was an acting officer and on duty at the time.
Letleichner also described Gregson speaking to him when he asked him to stand up out of the cruiser. He said Gregson told him, “I’m the one who carjacked two people earlier today.”
He said he was surprised to see he was emotionless, especially knowing what happened to Czapnik.
Letleichner said he did not read Gregson his rights and handed over the investigation to another officer before going inside. ?
After about 45 minutes he learned from hospital staff that “their lifesaving efforts had failed.”
The official proceedings of the trial began at noon Tuesday after Justice Douglas Rutherford and Crown and defense counsel selected a 12th and final jury member.
At that point in time Czapnik’s widow, Anna Korutowska, and his adult son, Lucas, took their seats in court behind the crown bench. The pair sat together through the proceedings, listening to the details of Czapnik’s final hours with rapt attention and leaning forward to be able to better see crime scene photographs.
They often whispered to one another, at times asking each other, “are you okay?”
The justice addressed the jury, reminding them they must remain open minded and cannot speak with anyone about the case or follow any media coverage, adding, “you have the front row seats.”
Rutherford also explained that when a perpetrator kills an active officer of any peace keeping force who they know is on duty at the time it is considered first degree murder in Canadian law.
Then the crown gave its opening statements. Cunningham addressed the court explaining they will prove that Gregson was looking for a gun and was willing to attack a police officer, any police officer to get one.
She explained the crown would call at least 20 witnesses over the course of the four week trial. Those will include more police officers and people who can give evidence about Gregson’s history with the RCMP, a history she said ended in bad blood.
Cunningham also told jurors they would learn about a confrontation between Gregson and his ex-wife the night of Dec. 28.
The defense waived their chance to read opening statements Tuesday, choosing instead to read them when they begin making their case.
