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Crown rests

The face of a victim of a violent fatal assault was one of the most disturbing things a local paramedic had seen in his 23 years on the job, a courtroom heard Wednesday morning.
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FILE -- Kesley Jacob, 35, is shown entering court in this tbnewsatch.com file photograph. Now free on bail, Jacob faces a manslaughter charge in connection with the 2011 death of Barney Beaver. (tbnewswatch.com)

The face of a victim of a violent fatal assault was one of the most disturbing things a local paramedic had seen in his 23 years on the job, a  courtroom heard Wednesday morning.

The Crown, represented by attorney Rob Kozak, wrapped up its case against Kesley Jacob, 35, who faces a manslaughter charge in connection with the 2011 death of 53-year-old Barney Beaver.

The Crown’s case ended with testimony from first responders, including Superior North EMS paramedic Barly Beirnes.

Beirnes attended the scene at the Victoria Inn on Dec. 17, 2011.

The paramedic was on scene with police, firefighters and hotel staff who discovered Barney in the hotel room unconscious and still breathing.

Beirnes told the court that Beaver's swollen face was covered in blood and vomit had pooled in both of eyes. Beaver later died in the hospital.

"It was a disturbing scene," he told the court, adding that Beaver's face had to be cleaned before the paramedic could even assess him.

"At that moment he wasn't even recognizable as human," Beirnes said before an objection by Jacob's lawyer George Joseph and a request from Justice Terrence Platana not to editorialize.

The court also heard from Ashton Huffman, a former server at Chicago Joe's, a restaurant in the hotel.

Through video from Newmarket, Huffman told the court Beaver was a regular customer.

On Dec. 16 he was there with two men and a woman.

While they were all drunk to some degree, Huffman said Beaver couldn't keep his head up and had trouble walking out of the restaurant.

"He could barely keep his head off of the table and out of his food," she said.

Jacob was originally charged with aggravated assault, but the case became a homicide after the victim’s death.

City Police have previously said the two men knew each other, and that alcohol was a factor in the incident.

Jacob is currently free on bail.

None of the charges the accused faces have been proven in court.

The defence will present its case Monday in what will be the last jury trial at the Superior Court before the consolidated courthouse opens next month.




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