Jury deliberations begin Monday in 1st-degree murder trial of man who killed Windsor mom

WARNING: This story contains graphic details some may find disturbing. 

Jury members are expected to start deliberating this week following a nearly seven-week first-degree murder trial at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Windsor.

Closing arguments are set for Monday in Jitesh Bhogal's trial, who admitted during his own testimony that he "accidentally killed" 31-year-old Autumn Taggart in her third-floor apartment building on June 10, 2018. The Crown will summarize its case, connecting the dots between the roughly 30 witnesses who testified during the trial that started on Oct. 12.

In order to establish a charge of murder, the Crown must prove Bhogal had intent the night he killed Taggart.

During Bhogal's testimony, he said he purchased an "eight ball" of cocaine from a male and female drug dealer the night of Taggart's death. They ran off with his cash and most of the cocaine in the area of University Avenue West, right outside of Taggart's apartment.

Bhogal said he wanted to try some of the cocaine to test its quality before buying more, but also said it was his first time doing the drug. He admitted to doing several lines of cocaine before entering the victim's apartment.

Crown believes accused lied while testifying

"You are an experienced cocaine user," Crown Attorney Ilana Mizel said during cross examination.

"I disagree," Bhogal said.

Mizel suggested only an experienced user would ask to test the quality of the cocaine.

After his drugs were stolen, Bhogal said he was looking for the female drug dealer named Michelle Altiman, who testified during the trial that she put the drugs in her vagina before running off. Bhogal admitted he was likely in Taggart's apartment searching for Altiman.

He testified he doesn't remember how he got in, but said during questioning that "it seems I climbed the balcony to get in there."

And then the screaming stops, I didn't know why until I sort of saw the injuries I had caused.- Jitesh Bhogal, accused of first-degree murder

Bhogal also said he doesn't remember a lot of what happened that night.

"I didn't know where I was. I remember looking at a face and this face staring back at me … I've never seen somebody look at me in such horror or fear. The next thing I know there's a scream or person is screaming," Bhogal testified.

During his testimony in court Bhogal became emotional, wiping tears from his eyes while his face twitched. 

"I remember there being a struggle. I remember asking for quiet. I remember asking that I just want to leave and please, I just wanted her to be quiet so I can leave," Bhogal said. "I remember saying I'm sorry I'm not here to hurt you. And then the screaming stops, I didn't know why until I sort of saw the injuries I had caused."

Autopsy found strangulation caused victim's death

An autopsy determined Taggart's cause of death to be strangulation and neck compressions. There were also injuries related to a sexual assault.

"You thought she had your drugs," Mizel suggested.

"I don't recall thinking that no," Bhogal replied.

"You searched her vagina and anus for the cocaine," Mizel said.

"That's disgusting. I disagree," said Bhogal.

Accused testified he performed CPR on victim

Bhogal said he recalls performing CPR on Taggart, tilting her head back, counting five or six ribs down before doing three or four chest compressions. But Bhogal said he doesn't remember precisely how he entered her unit, all of what happened while he was in her room or how he left.

"I remember sort of coming to my sense in my uncle's basement, not knowing what exactly had happened," Bhogal testified.

His uncle lives in Windsor, near Devonshire Mall. He admits he must have drove there after Taggart's death because his vehicle was at his uncle's house, but said he doesn't remember driving.

Victim's son home at the time of mother's death

Bhogal also said he doesn't remember entering Taggart's son's room that night, who was home at the time of his mother's death. Taggart's body was found on the morning of her death by her son, who was nine years old at the time.

He is 13 years old now. CBC News is choosing not to identify the child to protect his privacy.

However, the boy did testify during the trial that a man briefly came into his room and shortly after he heard "screaming coming from my mother that night."

When the screaming stopped, the boy eventually went back to bed. Several hours after waking up, he texted his father that "mommy's not waking up."

By that time, Bhogal testified he had used the Windsor-Detroit tunnel to cross into Michigan and was on his way to Seattle, to see his parents and discuss what happened. Bhogal wasn't arrested until August of 2018, two months after Taggart's death. He was arrested in Washington State and extradited to Canada.

"I didn't have the courage to come forward so I waited for it to come to me," Bhogal testified.