The Crown finished their cross-examination of Christopher Garnier in a Halifax courtroom on Tuesday.
Garnier, 30, is accused of killing Catherine Campbell, 36, in September 2015. Garnier has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and improperly interfering with a dead body.
The Crown alleges Garnier struck Campbell on the head and strangled her at an apartment on McCully Street in Halifax before using a green bin to dispose of her body under the Macdonald Bridge.
READ: Garnier trial: Tarp, work gloves and rope found in vehicle of accused killer
Defence lawyer Joel Pink said in his opening statement to the court that Catherine Campbell died as the result of a consensual sex or erotic asphyxiation that “unfortunately went wrong”.
Monday, Garnier took the stand to testify on his own behalf. He said he met Garnier said Campbell at the Halifax Alehouse on Sept. 11, 2015 and they went back to his friend’s apartment which was located at 5714 McCully Street. Once there, Garnier says he and Campbell started kissing and she asked him if he had ever been into domination, something Garnier said took him off guard.
Garnier says the pair kept kissing in the hallway when Campbell asked him to choke her. He says he placed both his hand on her neck for about 30 seconds.
WATCH: ‘My hands were around her neck’: Jury shown Christopher Garnier interrogation video
Garnier testified the pair then made their way to a pullout sofa in the den of the apartment. Once there, Garnier says he laid on his side and Campbell asked him to slap her. Garnier says he slapped her quickly three times. Garnier said he was embarrassed and didn’t look at Campbell’s face while he did it. Shortly after that, Garnier says he felt blood on him and ran to the bathroom to get a towel. When he came back Campbell hadn’t moved.
Garnier told the court that he grabbed her shoulders and shook her before hearing a gasp and moving back towards the doorway of the room.
Crown Attorney Christine Driscoll cross-examined Garnier on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, trying to point out inconsistencies with what Garnier told police during his 9.5-hour interrogation and what he testified to in court this week.
While being questioned by police, Garnier said he punched Campbell two to three times before putting his hands on her neck.
In court, Garnier told the jury he had one arm on Campbell’s neck when she asked him to slap her. Garnier said he hesitated at first but she pulled him closer and told him it was alright so he slapped her quickly three times but said he couldn’t look at Campbell’s face because he was embarrassed. Driscoll said Garnier is trying to suggest that Campbell did this to herself by pushing down on Garnier’s arm. Garnier disagreed, saying “I didn’t murder Catherine.”
Driscoll questioned why Garnier failed to tell police what happened when they were interrogating him following his arrest. Video evidence of that interrogation showed Cpl. Jody Allison asking Garnier multiple times if he and Campbell had engaged in rough sex.
READ MORE: Catherine Campbell’s DNA found inside McCully Street apartment where it’s alleged she was murdered
Driscoll also questioned why Garnier – who was trained as a firefighter – originally told police officers that he heard Campbell take her last breaths but testified in court that the noise he heard was air leaving her lungs.
Garnier previously testified that he jumped off the bed and got a towel once he saw Campbell bleeding after slapping her. When he returned, Garnier said Campbell wasn’t moving and that he grabbed her shoulders and shook her but can’t explain why he didn’t call 911.
READ MORE: Christopher Garnier testifies at murder trial, tells court Catherine Campbell wanted to be choked
Driscoll asked Garnier if there was a struggle on the pullout couch on Sept. 11, 2015, the night Campbell died, he said no. Driscoll also said that Garnier came up with an explanation about what happened which entirely places that blame on Campbell. Garnier told the court that he was not trying to blame Campbell, adding that she was nice to him that night.
The defence is expected to call their next witness when the trial resumes on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
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