The brother-in-law of a Halifax yoga teacher who was killed two years ago testified that she talked about leaving her accused killer before her death.
Cameron Dennison, 48, was the first Crown witness to take the stand in the second-degree murder trial for Nicholas Jordan Butcher.
Butcher, 35, is accused of killing Kristin Johnston in March 2016.
He has pleaded not guilty to the offence and is currently on trial at Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
READ: Second-degree murder trial in Halifax yoga instructor’s death set to begin
Dennison told the eight-women and six-men hearing Butcher’s case that he and Johnston were close. He is married to her older sister, Kim.
He testified that he never met Butcher in person because he and his wife lived in British Columbia in 2016 but that he had spoken to him over Skype. He says Johnston told him that she and Butcher had been dating for about a year and that Butcher was struggling to find work after law school.
Dennison testified that he last saw Johnston alive at the Orlando airport after she left a family vacation in Florida. Butcher was not on the vacation with her.
Dennison said that Johnston told him she wasn’t happy in her relationship, didn’t feel Butcher was supportive and had asked for advice on how to end things with him.
WATCH: Nicholas Butcher murder trial opens in Halifax
In their opening address to the court, the Crown said they plan to show that Johnston died as the result of 10 sharp wounds to her neck.
Prosecutor Tanya Carter said that the Crown will show on March 25, 2016 Johnston went out with friends and discussed breaking up with Butcher. She said that Butcher found out where Johnston was and went to visit her twice that night at her friend’s home, while she was out.
Carter told the court that Johnston’s life ended in tragedy and said that the jury will hear that on March 26, 2016 at 7:23 a.m. there was a 911 call from Butcher saying he needed help, that he tried to kill himself and that Johnston was dead.
Outside court, Peter Planetta, one of the defence lawyer’s representing Butcher, said he didn’t agree with the Crown’s opening statement.
“The trial is going to proceed how it’s going to proceed and our defence will become clear as it goes on,” he said.
The defence won’t say if they intend to call any evidence in the case. Planetta says that decision will be made after the Crown closes its case.
READ MORE: Crown says Kristin Johnston’s life ‘ended in tragedy’ in opening remarks at Nicholas Butcher trial
Prosecutors say they plan to call about 40 witnesses during the trial, which is scheduled to last twenty days.
Testimony will resume on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.