Man accused of killing teen girl in class wanted tarot cards back, court hears
Kathryn Pountney made the comments at the 1st-degree murder trial of her grandson Dylan Pountney
A man on trial for stabbing a fellow student to death in their high school classroom three years ago had wanted her to return his tarot cards, court heard Monday.
Kathryn Pountney made the comments at the first-degree murder trial of her grandson Dylan Pountney at Court of King's Bench in Wetaskiwin, Alta.
Crown prosecutor Jeff Rudiak asked her if Dylan Pountney, 22, ever talked to her about the victim, Jennifer Winkler.
"Just a couple of times. That he had seen her at school, and she has some cards that he had wanted back," said Kathryn Pountney.
"They were tarot cards" and "they were his mother's," she added.
"Did she not give the cards back?" Rudiak asked.
"No, she didn't."
"Did this make Dylan angry?"
Kathryn Pountney replied, "[Dylan] said, 'Maybe she doesn't have them' or he said `Maybe her father has them."'
Court has heard Winkler, 17, died after being stabbed multiple times in her social studies class in front of peers and a teacher at Christ the King School in Leduc, Alta., just south of Edmonton, on March 15, 2021.
A chief medical officer has testified Winkler died from massive blood loss from five wounds near her neck and shoulder.
Earlier Monday, Court of King's Bench Justice Eric Macklin ruled that a statement Dylan Pountney made to police after the incident was admissible as evidence in the trial.
During the interview, the then-19-year-old offered up explanations for attacking Winkler. A forensic psychiatrist who later assessed Dylan Pountney said he believed that Pountney was in a state of psychosis during both the attack on Winkler and during the interview with RCMP following his arrest.
However, the doctor also said he believed that though Pountney was experiencing delusions, he was aware that he was harming Winkler.
Defence lawyer Derek Anderson sought to have the police interview excluded from the trial, but Macklin found that despite Pountney's mental state, the legal test for the accused having an operating mind had been met.
During the trial, court heard Dylan Pountney and Winkler were in the class together the morning of the attack and, during a break, he left the classroom only to rush back in and begin slashing at Winkler while she was sitting at her desk.
Kathryn Pountney said she dropped Dylan Pountney off at school that morning and said he appeared fine and did not seem intoxicated.
She said he had showered and he had cologne on.
Kathryn said she had also had dinner the night before with her grandson and Dylan Pountney's father and said Dylan seemed "happy."
Kathryn said she remains close to her grandson, who had dreams of joining the military, and she helped his parents raise him. She said his parents separated when he was around 13. She said he began living with his father and developed a temper.
The parents' separation "bothered Dylan quite a bit," she said, adding he didn't stay close to his mother.
Closing arguments in the trial are expected Wednesday.
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With files from Paige Parsons