Man accused of killing Michael Wassill says fatal stabbing was 'accident'
The man accused of killing Michael Wassill inside his Orléans home four years ago said he cut Wassill's neck with a utility knife "by accident" during a scuffle and fled before he learned the wound would be fatal.
In a hushed voice and choking back tears, Carson Morin told the jury in an Ottawa courtroom he never had any intention of striking Wassill with the utility knife when he went to his door and was shocked when it happened.
"I saw blood coming between his fingers and I thought I cut his neck by accident," he said Tuesday.
Morin, 24, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the May 2013 death of the 20-year-old Wassill.
The Crown contends Wassill was trying to protect a female friend who felt threatened by Morin when she refused to hand over a share of her earnings from working as a stripper.
Morin said the woman owed him money from their business arrangement — she gave him half her earnings in exchange for him delivering marijuana to customers she was selling to, and driving her to and from work.
'I feared for my life'
In the afternoon of May 15 Morin said he went to Wassill's home to get the money from the woman, who was living with Wassill.
"I had no intention of going inside," said Morin. "I wanted to get out of there as fast as I can."
On Monday, Morin testified that before he approached the house, he put on a pair of blue latex gloves he'd been using earlier to clean his condo.
He also grabbed an X-Acto utility knife from the centre console of the car, sticking it in his pocket. Morin said he'd taken the knife out of a drawer in his condo and placed it in the car "as a last resort," adding that he had "no intention to use it."
But after answering the door Morin said Tuesday he and Wassill started pushing each other in the home's foyer.
"We were wrestling and grappling — we had our hands all over each other," he said.
Morin told the jury after Wassill pushed him hard against the front door he noticed a male friend of Wassill's appear in the foyer and take a step toward him.
"I was freaking out and panicking with that feeling knowing you're about to get hurt," said Morin. "I thought I was going out on a stretcher. I feared for my life."
As he tried to make his way toward the front door to leave Morin says Wassill came after him and "got me in a bear hug" that he says he could not shake loose from.
Pulled out utility knife
Morin said that's when he reached into the pouch of the hoodie sweater he was wearing to get the utility knife.
"I grabbed it with my right hand and when I grabbed it I slid my thumb on the knife and the blade came up," said Morin.
"My plan was to just try and fend him off by holding the knife up and back away to the door," he said.
Natasha Calvihno, Morin's lawyer, asked him if he had any intention of using the knife either when he approached the house or when he pulled it out from his pocket.
Morin replied "No."
She then asked him if he knew he'd struck Wassill with the knife.
"No I didn't," he replied. "I didn't even know that I hit him."
"Did you see what happened?" asked Calvinho.
"No I didn't," replied Morin. But he added, "I was looking at Mike because I saw him holding his neck. I was scared."
Morin choked up and dropped his voice. "I saw blood coming between his fingers and I thought I'd cut his neck by accident."
Says he threw knife, gloves out of car
The accused said he panicked and fled the house to his car.
As he drove away he noticed there was blood on the utility knife and the blue latex gloves he'd taken off and put on the passenger seat.
"I was sweating and shaking and I had this really weird feeling in my body," he said.
Morin said he threw the knife and gloves into the middle of the road onto Sunview Drive, about two kilometers from Wassill's house.
He then drove to the house of the woman he was in love with.
He took off all his clothes, down to his underwear, and said he asked her to put the clothes in a garbage bag. But he denied he ever asked her to get rid of the bag.
In the woman's house, she wiped what he described as "speckles of blood" from Morin's face using baby wipes.
Stopped for coffee before turning self in
A short time later, Morin says he decided to turn himself into police.
"I knew I was in trouble for hurting Mike," he said.
But first he went to a nearby Tim Horton's restaurant.
"I decided I wanted to get a last taste of freedom and have a cup of coffee," said Morin. "I was mentally preparing myself to go to jail."
Morin's lawyer Natasha Calvino noted he cried in court and she wanted to know if he'd ever cried about it before now.
"I have many times," Morin told the court. "Having to live with the fact that you accidently took someone's life. I have dreams and nightmare about his. It's hard to deal with. It's hard to live with."
As he spoke, Michael Wassill's father left the courtroom and Morin's mother broke down crying.
The Crown is scheduled to begin their cross-examination of Morin Wednesday.
