Luka Magnotta trial hears from ex-PM's son and Karla Homolka's sister
Salimah Shivji | CBC News | Posted: October 17, 2014 7:37 PM | Last Updated: October 17, 2014
Witnesses confirm their addresses were used on parcels containing body parts
Luka Magnotta used the names and addresses of both the son of former prime minister Jean Chrétien and the sister of Karla Homolka to mail two packages to Vancouver in May 2012.
The court has heard in earlier testimony those packages contained body parts of the victim, 33-year old Jun Lin.
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The Crown called Hubert Chrétien, Jean Chrétien's son, and Logan Valentini to testify today via video link.
Both confirmed their names and addresses were written on the packages, shown in photo form, and both told the court they were not the ones who sent the items to two Vancouver schools.
They also said they did not know the accused.
Magnotta has pleaded not guilty to the five charges against him, including first-degree murder and mailing obscene materials, but he has admitted to the physical acts behind the charges.
His lawyer intends to prove his client is not criminally responsible for the acts, while the Crown alleges the crimes were premeditated.
Valentini, who has legally changed her name from Lori Homolka, told the court she was "stunned" to hear her name was used.
"I didn't know why I would be dragged into something again that I had nothing to do with," she added.
Valentini told the court she had changed her name to maintain her privacy, after her sister, Karla, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in the murders Paul Bernardo committed in the 1990s.
Despite the name change, Valentini told the court many people know she is the sister of Homolka, who now lives in Quebec with her husband.
Chrétien, testifying via video link from the Gatineau courthouse, said police told him two years ago his name was used on a suspicious box, which he found strange and unpleasant.
The witness said his address is easy to find on the internet because of his work, as is his link to the former prime minister. He also pointed out his first name was misspelled as Hurbert on the package.
Flight to Paris booked online
Later in the day, a third witness, Air Transat employee Steve Fradette, took the stand with more information about Magnotta's flight from Montreal to Paris.
The round-trip ticket to Paris was booked at 4:37 pm. on May 25, 2012, the court heard, several hours after the killing and dismemberment of Lin.
Documents show Magnotta bought his ticket on the Expedia website and travelled with one suitcase, using his own passport. He was a no-show for the return flight.
He was arrested in Berlin on June 4, 2012.
The trial resumes on Monday.