Saskatchewan

Victim's teen son, common law partner testify at Regina manslaughter trial

The victim's family members testified at the manslaughter trial of Elwin Michael Goodpipe continued at Regina's Court of Queen's Bench Wednesday.

Elwin Michael Goodpipe pleads not guilty to manslaughter, attempted theft

On Wednesday, several civilian witnesses testified at the jury trial of Elwin Michael Goodpipe. He has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Andre Aubertin, 56, who was the victim of homicide according to police in Regina. (Facebook)

The teena​g​e son and the common law partner of a Regina man fatally wounded at his home ​in March 2016 testified at the Court of Queen's Bench in Regina on Wednesday.

Elwin Michael Goodpipe pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and attempted theft in connection with ​Andre Joseph Aubertin's death. On Monday, Crown prosecutor Mitchell Miller told the jury Aubertin was fatally shot during an attempted robbery gone wrong.

Candace Itittakoose, Aubertin's common law partner, told the​ jury Wednesday that Aubertin started his final day as he always did. 

"He gets up. He makes coffee and he watches his news, every morning," she said.

Itittakoose woke up and joined him on the couch to watch television. She said she saw two men approaching the home and told Aubertin, "Your bros are coming this way." She told the jury Wednesday that one of the approaching men was Goodpipe. 

She said Aubertin didn't want people to come over, so she called out the window "there's nothing here."

People occasionally came to the house to buy marijuana from Aubertin, she told the jury. Goodpipe had been to the home before and asked to use a phone, she said. 

She said the men entered the home, despite her efforts to keep them on the porch. 

She said she passed Goodpipe  the victim's phone and then saw Goodpipe's associate produce a gun from his sweater and say, "What you got?" 

"Andre started to raise his arms," she said. "He never got to say anything and he was already shot." 

Itittakoose said she ran out the back door in a panic and said the two men had fled by the time she returned to check on him.

She acknowledged she had previously told police that the shooter said something to the effect of what you "doing" rather than what you "got." 

"There's a lot of difference between what you doing and what you got," said defence lawyer Merv Shaw during cross examination, noting the former phrase was friendlier. 

Teen testifies 

Aubertin's teenage son Alexander Toto was there, visiting for Easter break, according to Itittakoose. 

She said she tried to calm him down as he was in a panic, asking, "Did my dad get shot? Did my dad get shot?" 

Toto also testified in court Wednesday. He had arrived at the home on a few days before the shooting and was hanging out with his dad the night before he died. 

The teen said he woke up around 7 a.m. to go to the washroom and saw his dad. 

"All I said was good morning."

Toto said he went back to sleep and was next awoken by a "big bang." He opened his door. 

"I seen my dad laying on the ground," he said, noting he was in pain — bleeding and mumbling. "I was shocked."

Toto said he tried to find his dad's phone to call 911 but couldn't find it. ​

The trial began Monday and is scheduled to run two weeks.