Polchies trial: Defence lawyer to argue fatal shooting was self-defence
The court heard a phone conversation from jail between the co-accused in the fatal shooting of Bobby Martin Jr. on Wednesday, as the Crown wrapped up its case in the second-degree murder trial of Evan Polchies.
Polchies, a 31-year-old Kingsclear man, was recorded telling 23-year-old Joe-Anna Hachey of Fredericton that Martin stabbed him on the night of the alleged murder in late January 2017.
The pair are alleged to have lured Martin, 34, to a mini-home in Lincoln so they could rob him. Martin suffered two gunshot wounds at the scene and later died in hospital.
In a series of conversations played in the Fredericton court, Polchies was heard telling Hachey "he cut me, with a blade" and that the two had started fighting.
Defence counsellor T.J. Burke made his opening statement before the trial adjourned for the day. Burke will argue the shooting was self-defence.
He will also call Polchies to the stand.
Marissa Shephard
The phone calls Polchies made while detained in the Southeast Regional Correctional Centre in Shediac were gathered by RCMP Const. Mark Blakely, the lead investigator on the file who testified Wednesday.
One one of the calls, Polchies was recorded talking to a unidentified woman and seemed to be looking for a way to contact Marissa Shephard. He dictated a message to be passed on:
"You know who this and who I am and who the girl I'm linked with. I know who you are and what you're about. Get your girl in check and her shit's about. Yeah, she'll get that."
Shephard was incarcerated at the same correctional centre in Miramichi where Hachey was imprisoned. Shephard will stand trial in February on charges of first-degree murder and arson with disregard for human life in connection with the slaying of Baylee Wylie.
Phone conversations
In a conversation from July 31, Polchies said: "I had drugs, I had a lot of speed, I had a pound of weed, and I had money in my pocket, I don't even do cocaine, I'd rather do speed, and they found on him a quantity of cocaine and $1,200 dollars on him. If I wanted to rob him, I would have took everything."
Polchies also described Hachey as "a whore I was driving around to sell herself." He said he had only known her for two weeks.
Another conversation from June 23 has Polchies saying, "They can try to twist words around and make f--king say it. I'll have my story so down pat that they can f--king ask, but I just won't answer."
Under cross-examination from Burke, Blakely read from a six-page history of charges against the murder victim.
Polchies and Hachey were arrested Jan. 29, 2017, near Woodstock.
Hachey, who will be tried in April, has already testified against Polchies, saying he was the one who shot Martin. She said she asked Martin to bring drugs to the mobile home, but she and Polchies planned to rob him when he got there.
The trial continues Thursday.
