Woman testifies she heard 'metal clicking' moments before shooting that killed her unborn baby

The 33-year-old victim, who can't be named under a publication ban, asked for an emotional support worker to sit with her in B.C. Supreme Court as she gave testimony against her ex-boyfriend.
 
Carleton Stevens is charged with one count of attempted murder. The Crown alleges he deliberately shot his pregnant ex-girlfriend on May 18, 2018.

She survived. Her baby did not.

The victim, identified only as J.Y., took the stand for the first time Monday. 

When asked by Crown lawyer Henry Reiner what she remembered about that night, she told the court how she'd felt her baby moving before heading off to bed.

She'd left the accused two weeks earlier and was staying with a male friend when the shooting happened. The two were sleeping in a bed together when she said Stevens came into the bedroom.

"What woke you up?" asked Reiner. "Carl, there was a presence in the room." she answered.

Waking up to the sound of metal clicking, J.Y. said she was disoriented and thought Stevens may also have been swearing at her. 

"He looked surprised and he was shaking like he'd been caught off guard, not expecting to see me there."  

"I saw Cal putting the gun together and then I woke up Taj,"  she told the court.

It was as she was attempting to get out of bed, she testified, that she was shot in the stomach.

The bullet went through her uterus, severing the umbilical cord of her six-and-a-half-month-old fetus. 

Doctors at Vancouver General Hospital performed an emergency caesarian hoping to save the baby's life, but it had already died.

While answering questions about that night, J.Y. spoke quietly.  At times, she looked furtively at the accused.  At other times, she appeared to use her arm to block him from her line of sight.

Stevens, wearing red sweats and sitting in the prisoner's dock, watched her intently as she spoke.

Defence lawyer Chandra Corriveau entered a not guilty plea on her client's behalf when proceedings began early last week.

The trial, which has no jury, is being tried by Justice Jennifer Duncan and is expected to continue for at least another seven days.