Crown attempts to cast doubt on accused murderer’s credibility

Kwasi Benjamin, 32, stands accused of second-degree murder in the May 2015 death of Nellie Angutiguluk of Puvirnituq. (SPVM PHOTO)

MONTREAL—On the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 14, Kwasi Benjamin spent his second day in the witness box, testifying in own defence at his second-degree murder trial in connection with the 2015 death of his girlfriend, Nellie Angutiguluk of Puvirnituq.

Benjamin’s trial, before Quebec Superior Court Justice Michael Stober and a 12-person jury, began in Montreal last month and has been adjourned until Feb. 20, when lawyers are expected to make their final arguments to the jury.

Benjamin said Angutiguluk often talked about suicide. He recounted two specific situations that occurred in the month before her death, where he said he observed her trying to kill herself with self-imposed strangulation.

He had said earlier that when he found her dead in bed after work on the night of May 19, 2015, he thought, for almost three hours before he called 911, that she was just sleeping.

He did not, however, tell first responders after her death about any suicidal history.

Benjamin told the court that a few weeks prior to her death, he had found her choking herself in the bathroom, using one of her own belts secured to a towel rack hung behind the door.

He did not remember which belt it was that she used, but it definitely belonged to her and it definitely had a buckle. The towel rack can be observed in crime scene photos and was shared with the jury.

“She was on her knees, leaning forward, toward the bathtub,” Benjamin said.

Crown prosecutor Dennis Galiatsatos brought out a walking cane and belt for Benjamin to use as reference to show the court exactly how Benjamin remembered it.

Knowing the height of the towel rack in the bathroom, and using a measuring tape, he held the cane out at that precise height.

At first Galiatsatos attached the buckle to the cane through the first notch, but Benjamin said that was not how it was tied when he saw her with it.

Galiatsatos asked Benjamin to show the court exactly how it was set up. Benjamin tied the buckled end into an actual knot, with the knot resting at the top of the rack, and the rest of the belt dangling below it.

According to his story, Benjamin said he had walked in and found her crossing the end of it against her neck, not tied, but held in place by her own hands.

“She put it there, sir,” Benjamin said. “I was not there. She had it around her neck.”

Galiatsatos asked Benjamin to use the belt, while still attached to the cane, to show the court precisely how she had been holding it.

When he did so, the belt formed an X, and Benjamin pulled outward with both hands to demonstrate.

The ends of the belt were not very long on each side, and the belt used for the demonstration was actually a tall, men’s belt—not one that would have fit Angutiguluk, who was just 5 feet, two inches tall and weighed 135 pounds.

Galiatsatos asked Benjamin again if he was sure Angutiguluk had been on her knees when he, allegedly, found her like that.

“Yes sir,” Benjamin said.

“A woman who is 5 feet, 2 inches was on her knees like that?” Galiatsatos asked.

“Yes sir,” Benjamin said.

It was clear that it was impossible for a belt to reach far enough for her to have been on her knees, with any belt, on that specific towel rack.

Her neck would have had to have been positioned about four feet off the ground.

But, again, Benjamin confirmed that was what he remembered when he said he saw Angutiguluk appearing suicidal two weeks before her death.

“And if the towel bar was behind the door, how were you able to open it?” Galiatsatos asked.

Benjamin said the door was already open.

On redirect, after the rest of Galiatsatos’ cross examination, Benjamin’s defence lawyer Paul Skolnik asked his client if he could describe how much the door was open.

“I don’t know how much,” Benjamin said.

The defence closed its case on Wednesday afternoon.

Read our previously published stories on the Kwasi Benjamin trial:

• Feb. 6 — Accused killer of Nellie Angutiguluk “wanted to get rid of her,” witness says
• Feb. 7 — Deceased Nunavik woman expressed “suicidal thoughts,” witness says
• Feb. 8 — At Montreal murder trial, lawyers scrutinize forensic evidence
• Feb. 9 — Deceased Nunavik woman had no drugs in her system, expert says
• Feb. 10 — Nunavik woman was strangled to death, expert tells court
• Feb. 13 — Nunavik woman could have been killed in her sleep, expert says
• Feb. 14 — Accused murderer denies killing Nunavik woman in 2015