Man mentioned he didn't intend to kill roommate when he stabbed him with sword

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Homicide suspect Michael Elendu advised a Calgary jury on Friday that his sufferer made demise threats in opposition to him shortly earlier than he stabbed the deceased within the coronary heart with a sword.

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Elendu mentioned he and his roommate, Kyreese Wright, bought into an argument the morning of Dec. 16, 2020, over the enjoying of loud music, which escalated right into a verbal altercation.

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“He was going to kill me and he was going to name his cousins to take care of me, and I used to be making threats towards him as properly, I mentioned that he doesn’t know who he’s coping with,” Elendu testified.

“He additionally mentioned he was going to piss on my grave. He was going to take care of me and piss on my household’s grave.”

Elendu, 21, is charged with second-degree homicide within the demise of Wright, 20. His attorneys, Derek Jugnauth and Matt Browne, have conceded he’s responsible of manslaughter, however the prosecution is continuing along with his trial on the extra severe cost.

Elendu advised Jugnauth he had gone to the upstairs bed room of one other roommate to retrieve a Katana sword earlier than going to the basement, the place Wright had gone to the room of a fourth roommate, Tafari Carefoote-Jones, whom he knew as Nathan.

“I used to be very emotional, I used to be offended, I didn’t know what to anticipate, so I grabbed one thing in defence of something which may occur,” he mentioned of retrieving the sword.

As he walked all the way down to the basement he heard Wright speaking to Carefoote-Jones.

“I heard Kyreese inform Nathan, ‘go seize your weapons, go seize your weapons,’ ” he mentioned.

He knocked on Carefoote-Jones’ door whereas asking him to open it, and after a short silence it opened.

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“I used to be startled to see Kyreese open it,” he mentioned.

“I simply reflectively lifted up my arms and took a step again.”

As Wright stepped again he observed blood on his shirt.

Elendu advised Jugnauth he didn’t arm himself with the sword to hurt Wright.

“It was not for a motive to kill or homicide him, sir.”

Elendu’s testimony contradicted the proof of Carefoote-Jones and one other witness, who mentioned a short while after Wright was stabbed the accused got here into the room and video-recorded the dying sufferer.

Carefoote-Jones advised court docket the accused taunted Wright, cursing him, earlier than fleeing the residence, however Elendu advised Jugnauth he by no means returned to the room after the stabbing.

Underneath cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Samina Dhalla recommended Elendu was mendacity on that time.

“I’m going to counsel to you that you just truly got here again to his room moments later,” Dhalla mentioned.

“No, ma’am,” Elendu mentioned.

“You got here again with a sword in your hand and a cellphone in your hand as properly. I’m additionally going to counsel to you that you just selected that second to report Kyreese and to taunt him,” the prosecutor mentioned.

“No, I didn’t do this.”

The trial continues Monday.

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Twitter: @KMartinCourts