Mother takes stand in murder trial of man accused of killing her daughter

It was an emotional day at Regina’s Court of Queens Bench as the victim’s mother took the stand, saying her daughter was a kind, loving and compassionate person as the man accused of killing her sat quietly with his head down.

Carla Yawney was called as the first witness, as day two of the second-degree murder trial of 30-year-old Duran Redwood continued.

Redwood is charged in the death of 33-year-old Celeste Yawney, who was found dead in her home on Ingersoll Crescent on May 24, 2015.

On Wednesday, the jury heard Yawney and Redwood had been involved in a romantic relationship and Redwood does not dispute his actions caused her death. Rather it’s a question of intent and why it happened.

The Crown has alleged that Redwood meant to kill Yawney after he beat her to death after a night of escalating tension.

Yawney’s mother told the court her daughter struggled with alcohol and was fearful and concerned about her relationship with Redwood.

She went on to say the last time she saw her daughter was the day before her body was found, saying she seemed distraught, withdrawn and was in a hurry.

The court also heard from several witnesses who said Redwood showed up to their home, where his children’s mother was living, the morning of May 24, the day Yawney’s body was found.

They told the jury Redwood was in shock and seemed to be recovering from a night of drug and alcohol use, saying he found his girlfriend dead, repeating “I don’t know what happened.”

The jury also saw photos of the crime scene. One of the officers on duty that day testified he saw blood in several areas of the home before finding Yawney’s body in the bathtub.

The trial is expected to last four weeks with the crown calling a total of 20 witnesses.