Police officer's defence to begin in manslaughter trial

Ottawa police Const. Daniel Montsion's lawyers are expected to begin offering their account of Abdirahman Abdi's death with testimony from an off-duty  paramedic on Wednesday.

Montsion has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in Abdi's death three years ago. 

With no more witnesses to call, the Crown closed its case against the Ottawa police officer so the defence can start calling evidence.

That was supposed to begin Monday and take about three weeks, but the defence now expects its case will be much shorter than anticipated. 

The defence will begin with an opening statement before calling paramedic Matthew Rousselle to the witness box. The court has already heard that Rouselle, who was off duty at the time, intervened in an altercation between Abdi and a customer at a Bridgehead coffee shop on Wellington Street W. before police arrived.

The Crown has argued that Montsion arrived at 55 Hilda St. on July 24, 2016, and immediately began punching Abdi in the head while wearing gloves with reinforced knuckles.

Abdi died from a heart attack, but the prosecution argues it was the pain, fear and trauma inflicted by Montsion's blows that caused his heart to stop. 

The pathologist who testified in court called it "homicide by heart attack." 

Different theories

The defence has already offered several different theories about what caused Abdi's death. 

They say a number of factors may have contributed to his heart attack, including a foot chase down Wellington Street W. and baton blows delivered by the first officer on scene.

They have also suggested Abdi was suffering from excited delirium — a group of symptoms including bizarre and aggressive behaviour, paranoia and even hallucinations.The trial, which began in Februrary, has already heard from several witnesses, paramedics, experts and the other officer involved in the altercation, Const. Dave Weir. 

Montsion's lawyers, Michael Edelson and Solomon Friedman, initially promised the "vast majority" of their witnesses will be civilians who watched the confrontation unfold before Montsion arrived on the scene.

They have also subpoenaed several women Abdi is alleged to have groped and assaulted shortly before his arrest, which is what spurred bystanders to call police that day.

The defence has now drastically shortened that witness list, which means a verdict in this case could be much closer at hand.