Eyewitness testifies about angry conflict at Nunavut man's murder trial in St. John's
The witness left a room where 2 men were fighting. When he returned, one was giving the other CPR
An eyewitness who testified at the murder trial of a Nunavut man in St. John's this week told the jury about an angry conflict that erupted just before another Nunavut man ended up unconscious on the floor.
Nathan Kavaga Amarudjuak was in the room when a fight broke out between Bernard Otuk, 26, and Patrick Sulurayok, 34, on June 22, 2021.
All three men are from Nunavut and were crew members on a Baffin Fisheries vessel that was tied up in Bay Roberts. They were staying in a rented cabin on Roaches Line when the fight happened.
Amarudjuak testified Thursday in Supreme Court in St. John's, telling the jury that Otuk was intoxicated when he met him that evening. He said Otuk continued to drink beer and became increasingly angry while speaking about his ex-girlfriend and his grandmother, who had recently died.
He said Sulurayok drank a few bottles of beer that evening and Sulurayok and Otuk each did a line of cocaine.
Amarudjuak said he and Sulurayok tried to calm Otuk but it didn't work. He said Otuk first shoved Sulurayok and then grabbed him by his collar. Still standing, they held onto each other and argued.
Tried to stop the fight
Amarudjuak said he tried to get between the two fighting men but he was pushed away. He sat down and rolled a joint of marijuana and invited them to join him outside, but they didn't.
After smoking a joint, he looked into the room and told them to stop again, but they ignored him.
He said he smoked another two joints outside before he heard Sulurayok calling his name.
"He sounded like he was afraid, and when I went in he was distraught," Amarudjuak said in Inuktitut. He answered most questions in English but sometimes used a translator.
Amarudjuak said when he entered the room he saw Sulurayok doing CPR on Otuk. The witness told the court he ran to look for help and found another crew member, who called 911.
When police arrived they found Otuk unresponsive. He was rushed to hospital in Carbonear where he was pronounced dead.
Sulurayok was charged with second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial began Monday.
Cross-examination
During cross-examination Friday, defence lawyer Daniel Vavasour asked Amarudjuak how long Otuk and Sulurayok had known each other and what their relationship was like.
Amarudjuak responded that they were both from Arviat, a Nunavut community of about 2,500 people on the western shore of Hudson Bay, and they had known each other for many years.
Amarudjuak said Otuk and Sulurayok were friends who worked together on the Baffin Fisheries vessel, Inuksuk I, for many years.
Vavasour then asked Amarudjuak about the days leading up to Otuk's death.
Amarudjuak replied that Otuk was upset because being on the boat meant he couldn't attend his grandmother's funeral. She had died after being hit by a vehicle in Nunavut.
Amarudjuak said Otuk was also upset about some troubling news he had received from home.
He said Otuk was angry about this, but he told the court he had never seen any conflict or tension between Otuk and Sulurayok before the night of June 22, 2021.
Self-defence?
Crown lawyer Robert Roach said during his opening remarks Tuesday that Sulurayok put Otuk in a chokehold after Otuk was aggressive with him.
Roach said jurors will have to consider the limits of self defence.
"We will argue that, yes, he went too far," he said.
Justice Peter Browne is presiding over the jury trial that's scheduled to continue until mid-February.
A fourth crew member who was also in the room during the fight is expected to testify next week.
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