The man accused of second-degree murder in the death of three-year-old Ivy Wick continued his testimony at the Calgary Courts Centre Thursday morning.
Justin Bennett is accused in the death of his girlfriend’s daughter. Ivy was taken off life support days after being transported to hospital on Sept. 27, 2017 with critical, life-threatening injuries after emergency responders were called to a residence in Rundle for reports of a child in medical distress.
On Thursday morning, Bennett was questioned by Fay about Ivy’s mother Helen Wordsworth and her biological father, Chris Wick.
Bennett alleged that one time Wordsworth picked Ivy up by her ankle and took her to her room. And on another occasion, he alleges, Wordsworth locked Ivy in her room for an entire day because she wanted to clean the house.
Bennett testified that one time Ivy returned from spending time with her biological father, she had a black eye, and another time she had a leg injury.
Bennett said that on the morning of Sept. 27, 2017, he was playing video games when he heard a large thump and heard Ivy scream.
He said he saw her lying on the floor in the bedroom.
Bennett said he couldn’t remember if Ivy’s eyes were open or closed but he said he couldn’t see any signs of injuries and he “thought she was screwing around.”
He said she was “lifeless, motionless, slumped over when he picked her up.”
Bennett said he was concerned about the $300 ambulance trip so he called his wife at the time — a nurse, from whom he was separated — before Ivy was transported to hospital.
Thursday’s testimony came a day after Crown prosecutors Sue Kendall and Tom Spark closed their case. Justice Blair Nixon decided that evidence presented from an undercover police operation that targeted Bennett and Wordsworth was admissible in court.
The evidence included a video of Bennett where he confesses to hitting Ivy on the head on the day of her death and tripping her.
On Wednesday afternoon, defence lawyer Allan Fay called Bennett to testify.
Bennett denied having committed any of the abuse he confessed to on the video.
The Crown prosecutor will have the opportunity to cross-examine Bennett Thursday afternoon.
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