Trial begins for man accused of first-degree murder in Winston Littlecrow’s death — (Ottawa Citizen)

Monday, October 4th, 2021
SSRI Ed note: Youth on antidepressants and stimulants fatally shoots father of 5, is charged but cannot be named.

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Ottawa Citizen

Author of the article:  Thia James

Publishing date:  Oct 04, 2021

A first-degree murder trial of a now 19-year-old man accused in connection to the city’s 16th homicide of 2019 began Monday.

The first-degree murder trial of a now 19-year-old man in the fatal shooting of Winston Littlecrow in December 2019 began on Monday at Saskatoon provincial court.

Littlecrow, a father of five, was found by police responding to an emergency call, lying on a sidewalk in the 200 block of Avenue X North on Dec. 7, 2019, and later died in hospital. His death was the 16th and last homicide of 2019.

The identity of the accused, who was a youth (17) at the time, is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. He is also on trial for a charge of possession of a firearm while prohibited.

Crown prosecutor Melodi Kujawa’s argued Littlecrow’s death was connected to him visiting a rival gang’s “trap house.”

The trial is expected to last a few days.

Winston Littlecrow, 35, was killed on Dec. 7, 2019 in Saskatoon. His death was the 16th homicide in the city that year. PHOTO BY FACEBOOK PHOTO /Saskatoon

The first officer at the scene described finding Littlecrow wounded, moaning in pain and grabbing his back.

Const. Robert Stanviloff was dispatched at 7:22 a.m. after police received a call that someone had been shot. He said a sobbing female was on the ground next to Littlecrow, who lost consciousness and was transported to hospital.

Investigators obtained surveillance video from nearby businesses and an apartment building.

They show a male in a black hoodie with white lettering and a distinct haircut leaving an apartment building, then sitting in a restaurant for several minutes. Video from the rear of a grocery store shows an encounter between two figures on Avenue X minutes later. One if them falls down and another quickly leaves.

Const. Shelby Georget, who had previously interacted with the accused youth, identified him as the male in a couple of the clips.

Defence lawyer Chris Gratton questioned whether Georget could see the accused’s distinctive face tattoo in surveillance footage from the restaurant. Georget said he could not see that clearly, but recognized the accused’s cheek structure.

In footage from a police interview room, the youth tells police he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression, and prescriptions for both. He said when he doesn’t take his depression medication, he hears voices, and when he doesn’t take medication for ADHD, he has blackouts and doesn’t remember everything.

The court is expected to hear testimony Wednesday from Eiryn Ashlee Straightnose, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to nine years in prison in connection with Littlecrow’s death.

The trial is set to continue on Tuesday.

tjames@postmedia.com