Lynessa Highway was accompanied by family members when she arrived Monday morning at Court of King's Bench in Prince Albert. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Evidentiary and Charter issues lead discussion as Highway trial gets underway at Court of King’s Bench

Jan 23, 2023 | 5:00 PM

Concerns related to how a blood stained sweater was collected and whether a young woman’s statement to Prince Albert police should be allowed as evidence, dominated discussion Monday at Court of King’s Bench.

Lynessa Highway is facing a charge of manslaughter for the death of 18-year-old Adam Pelletier in October 2020. Pelletier was found at a residence in the 1700 block of 14th Street West.

Highway, who was also 18 at the time, was arrested at the scene and is alleged to have shot her friend, whom she had been drinking with.

Five days have been set aside for the trial. The Crown is expected to call five witnesses, which will consist of a mix of police officers and civilians. It’s unclear at this stage if Highway herself will testify for the defence.

Family members of both the accused and the victim were present in court Monday to hear arguments in a voir dire. The hearing is a sort of trial within a trial to determine admissibility of evidence, and in this case whether a statement Highway provided to police is admissible in her manslaughter trial. In today’s hearing, the court reviewed the video of Highway’s nearly two-hour statement she provided police, hours after her arrest.

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Prior to the video being played, the police officer involved in the interview told Crown Lawyer Jonathan Foreman that Highway was visibly stressed, but understood what was being asked and showed no signs of impairment.

The same officer however was later asked by defence lawyer Ron Piche, if he was aware that Highway was extremely intoxicated when arrested earlier in the day, and had not slept. The officer said he could not recall.

During the proceedings Highway was allowed to sit with family members and was visibly emotional on multiple occasions. At one point of the video statement, when she got up from the chair she was sitting in near the video screen and walked to family members who were sitting on the opposite side of the room.

The case was originally scheduled for trial last December at Prince Albert Provincial Court, but Highway’s lawyer opted instead to have the case tried at Court of Queen’s Bench.

A not guilty plea was entered last April.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell