Selena Lomen murder trial hears history of her partner's jealousy
Selena Lomen called her mother in Fort Nelson, asking if she could stay with her, just hours before she fatally stabbed her partner, Danny Klondike, in their home in Fort Liard, her brother testified in court Thursday.
Lomen is on trial in the N.W.T. Supreme Court in Yellowknife for second-degree murder in the death of Klondike two years ago in Fort Liard. She has admitted she stabbed Klondike.
During her trial yesterday, Lomen's brothers testified that Klondike often lashed out in jealousy at Lomen when he was drinking.
The couple attended a Halloween party the night leading up to Klondike's death in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2018. Lomen tried several times to coax her partner to come home with her.
Others who attended the party have testified that Klondike was having a good time playing pool, dancing and socializing. They also said he got very intoxicated.
Phone calls to her mother
In court on Thursday, Lomen's brother, Melvin Lomen, said she showed up at his house twice that night asking to use the phone. The house is only a few minutes' walk from the house where the party was being held.
Melvin Lomen said he did not hear who she was talking to on the phone during the first visit, but during the second, when she returned less than half an hour later, she was speaking to their mother. He said Selena was telling their mother she was going to stay with her in Fort Nelson, and that Danny Klondike was getting mad at her.
"She wasn't happy at all," recalled Melvin of the second visit. "She told me she was trying to get her boyfriend out of a party at a friend's house."
Melvin Lomen and his brother Calvin, who lives in the same house, said that their sister and Klondike lived in the house with them for between a year and 18 months before moving into their own home.
Responding to suggestions put to them by defence lawyer Peter Harte, the brothers agreed that Klondike and Lomen's relationship was sometimes very troubled.
Angry accusations of infidelity
Calvin Lomen said it was not an everyday occurrence, but every few months or so, Klondike would angrily accuse Selena of cheating on him or of flirting with other men. The brothers said this happened mainly when Klondike was intoxicated.
Melvin confirmed that his sister was forced to quit her job at the local gas station because Klondike kept accusing her of cheating on him and flirting with people at the station.
He said he had to stop Klondike from throwing a stool at Selena during another intoxicated jealous rage. In another incident, he said Klondike ripped the phone out of the wall to prevent his partner from calling the police.
Another time, Selena came to her brothers' place to escape her partner. The brothers said Klondike came to the house and started arguing with her and accusing her of being unfaithful. Melvin had to push him out of the house.
Prosecutor Duane Praught objected to the questioning about Klondike's and Lomen's relationship, arguing it had no bearing on the central issue of the trial — whether Lomen intended to kill Klondike when she stabbed him.
Justice Andrew Mahar allowed the questioning to continue, saying a final determination on whether that evidence is admissible can be made later in the trial, which is expected to continue into early next week.
Mahar earlier indicated he will likely need some time to analyze the evidence before coming to a verdict.
