THUNDER BAY - One of the first responding police officers to attend the Casablanca Apartment complex where George Gerard was found unresponsive described a grisly and dangerous scene during testimony in a Thunder Bay Courtroom.
The second day of the trial against Nicolas Necan, who is accused of second-degree murder in the 2016 death of 60-year-old, George James Gerard, continued on Wednesday.
In the morning, the jury heard testimony from Thunder Bay Police Service Const. Matt Hanchuk, one of the first responding officers on the scene of the alleged attack.
The incident took place on Jan. 28, 2016 at the Casablanca Apartment complex on North Simpson Street. Hanchuk and his partner, Const. Ryan Krupa, responded to the complex after a 911 call was received after 3 p.m.
According to Hanchuk, before entering Gerard’s apartment, he heard what sounded like something “smacking wet meat.”
Upon entering the apartment, he witnessed Necan beating a man on the floor with a piece of wood. Necan was ordered to drop the piece of wood but failed to comply. He then turned to the officers and threatened them with the piece of wood.
Hanchuk deployed pepper spray, which caused Necan to drop the wood and he was soon restrained on the floor and placed in handcuffs.
Gerard was transported to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre where he was pronounced dead just after 4 p.m.
During his testimony and cross-examination by Necan’s defense lawyer, Neil McCartney, Hanchuk said Necan remained uncooperative and continued to struggle while in custody, while also uttering death threats directed at the officers.
After being transported to the Balmoral Street Station, Necan was seen shadowboxing and practicing what Hanchuk described as martial arts moves in the cell.
Hanchuk added that when Necan was restrained in the apartment, there was a clear smell of alcohol, but he testified that Necan was not slurring his speech, nor were his movements slowed or unsure.
“I don’t know if he was drunk,” Hanchuk testified when McCartney asked if Necan appeared intoxicated. “When he yelled, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ it wasn’t slurred.”
The jury also heard testimony from James Bryson, a forensic identification officer, who showed the court photographs from Gerard’s autopsy. Cuts could be seen on Gerard’s face, as well as significant swelling around the eyes.
Const. Ryan Krupa is expected to testify Wednesday afternoon.
With files from TBT News.
