REGINA – The defence called its first witnesses, two teenage boys, during the ninth day of the Tammy and Kevin Goforth murder trial.
The Regina couple is facing Second Degree Murder Charges in the death of a four-year-old girl in their care in August 2012.
They are also accused of abusing her two-year-old sister.
The 17-year-old boy lived at the Goforth’s house at the same time as the two girls. He described them as shy with chubby cheeks and noticed nothing unusual about them.
“I thought they were just happy little girls to begin with,” he said.
Once again, emotions were running high as two people had to be escorted from the courtroom just moments after the teen began his testimony. Screaming and swearing could be heard from the hall.
The defence asked the boy about eating arrangements at the home. He said the Goforths, another boy, two girls and himself would eat dinner together most nights.
The defence then he had ever seen the girls tied up. The boy responded “no.”
He said Tammy used to tape small winter gloves on their hands to stop them from scratching their face or picking scabs.
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He also testified that a string was used to lock the girls in their room at night because the four-year-old would sneak out to get food and make a mess, adding that Tammy and Kevin were worried about her getting into the knives and hurting herself.
According to the boy, the girls used to pee the bed so Tammy put plastic on the mattresses. The Crown asked if cardboard was used to soak it up, but the boy said he didn’t know.
The boy said he wasn’t home on Aug. 1, 2012 when the four-year-old was taken to the hospital, as he was staying somewhere else. He did go with another adult to the Goforth’s home as the adult collected the two-year-old.
He denied seeing any bruises on the girls’ wrists and ankles.
The Crown did ask the boy if he talked to the Goforths about today’s testimony. The boy said no.
A 16-year-old boy who lived with the Goforths also testified in the afternoon. He said he was laying in bed and heard a scream the night the four-year-old girl was taken to the hospital. The 16-year-old said Tammy wrapped the girl in a blanket, but he didn’t understand what was going on.
“It was all in a rush,” he said and later added, “my mind was in shock.”
When the Crown cross-examined the boy, they had him look at a photo with a string attached to the girls’ door knob. He said he had never seen it before.
He also said he didn’t pay attention to what the girls wore or ate, but he does remember them refusing to eat sometime.
The 16-year-old said he didn’t spend much time with the girls, as he was “always outside finding something to do.”
Since the trial began, court has heard witnesses testify that the girls were malnourished, dehydrated and had injuries suggesting they were bound.
The boy described watching Tammy tape the four-year-old victim to a wall in the basement. He also testified he would play with two other children in the home, but the girls were locked in their room and wouldn’t eat for an entire weekend.
Neither of the teens who testified Friday or young girls can be identified due to a publication ban.
Tammy Goforth is expected to take the stand Friday morning.
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