WINNIPEG – A Winnipeg woman faced a jury Monday, charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder of a man and his son by running them over in the West End in 2011, when she was just 17.
The Crown laid out details of the case on the opening day of the month-long trial.
The teen and her boyfriend arrived at a family’s home on Garfield Street for a gathering in August 2011. A brawl broke out, ending when Marcel Murdock, 40, was killed and his son Craig Hanslip, 21, was severely injured under the wheels of a car piloted by the girl.
The teen and her boyfriend got into a dispute and when Murdock, a family friend, tried to intervene, the boyfriend pepper-sprayed him, the Crown told the court.
The boyfriend left the home and returned with his parents, who got into a confrontation with Murdock and his son Craig Hanslip. When family inside the home heard the commotion outside, a brawl broke out, Crown Attorney Susan Baragar said. People used bricks, shovels and hockey sticks, “pretty much anything that came to hand,” while the teen girl got behind the wheel of an 2006 Ford Van, the jury heard.
When Murdock and his son tried to leave in their car, the teen blocked the street and rammed into Murdock’s car several times, cracking the windshield and badly damaging the car.
After realizing the car wasn’t operational anymore, Murdock and his son got out the car and stood on the sidewalk, under a street lamp, the Crown told the jury.
The teen manoeuvred the van and “gunned the motor,” driving straight for Murdock and Hanslip, the Crown alleged.
Murdock was struck and died days later. Hanslip was driven over and survived but sustained severe physical and brain injuries.
The teen left the scene.
Eight witnesses are scheduled to testify during the month-long trial; many of them saw the men being struck by the van.
The Crown and defence lawyers agree the teen hit the two men, but the 12-member jury must decide whether she intended to kill them.
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