Jurors hear chilling 911 call from the day of fatal Bruce Avenue fire in Sudbury

There was evidence from neighbours and firefighters about the fatal fire at a Bruce Avenue townhouse on the second day of the trial of a 27 year-old Sudbury man.

Liam Stinson is charged with three counts of first degree murder in connection with the blaze that claimed the lives of three people in April of 2021.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Jamie-Lynn Rose, Jasmine Somers and Guy Henri, also known as Popcorn, perished in the fire.

The first witness in the jury trial was 40 year-old David Cheff who lived at the townhouse and who escaped the fire by jumping out an upper storey window.

The day began with Stinson's lawyer, Joseph Wilkinson, cross-examining him, focused on the nature of the relationships among Cheff, his roommates, and Stinson leading up the April 11th fire, and whether there was any animosity among them.

Cheff testified he often smoked crack with Stinson.

He said they both sold drugs but were not competitors because he sold speed and Stinson sold fentanyl.

He said at the time of the fire, he did not owe Stinson any money and didn't think they had any "beef".

As for Rose, Cheff said she was involved in a relationship with Stinson, but was staying at his house after some arguments with Stinson.

Cheff testified he didn't think Stinson was upset with him about that, although Stinson wanted Rose to come back to him.

After further questioning, Cheff also testified he didn't think Stinson had any reason to be upset with the two other people staying with him - his friend Popcorn, and a new friend, Somers.

The evidence then shifted again to the night of the fire with the playing of a recorded 911 call from Cheff's neighbour, 32 year-old Melissa Bergeron.

Bergeron said at that time, she was in the basement of her unit and heard yelling and banging, then someone shout "fire!".

She looked out her window and saw black smoke and the glow of flames so she called 911.

They're burning alive in there.- Melissa Bergeron, 911 call, April 11, 2021

The chilling call lasted about four minutes and was chaotic as Bergeron tried to describe what was happening to the operator amid shouts to neighbours and to Cheff, asking if anyone was still inside.

She told the operator three people were still inside.

At one point she told the operator, "They're burning alive in there." 

Bergeron said she saw two people in the living room of the unit and the  shadow of a person behind an upstairs window waving.

At the end of the call, sirens from fire engines could be heard approaching.

The next witness was the neighbour from the other side of the burning townhouse.

61 year-old Ahmed Jalo had awoken for morning prayer when he heard faint calls of 'help me, help me"  and thought he was dreaming.

But then he heard 'fire" and told his wife he had to go out to help.

Jalo learned there were still people inside the burning unit, so he rammed the front door seven or eight times with his shoulder.

He said it finally swung open but the smoke was too thick to enter so he called for people to come out, but no one did.

Captain Richard Dodge of the Sudbury Fire Service said his engine was the first to arrive on the scene.

He said they arrived at 4:58 a.m. and immediately noticed heavy flames on both the main and upper floor.

He ordered the crew to grab a ladder for rescue and attacked the fire with water.

Fire crews went into "attack mode" after reports of people trapped

The ladder crew went into the second floor and located two people

Dodge said once the fire was somewhat knocked down but still active, he went in with two firefighters through the door.

They encountered the body of a third person in the basement.

Stinson is the last of five men charged in connection with the arson..

The details of the court proceedings of Stinson's co-accused are covered under a publication ban but we can report the outcomes.

Jared Herrick and Philippe Jeannotte both pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and one count of arson causing bodily harm and are serving their sentences.

Another man pleaded guilty to obstructing police.

Three counts of being party to first degree murder were stayed against another man.

Stinson's trial is expected to last several weeks.