charged with second-degree murder in June of 2024<\/a>, \u201cis going to take the stand and he is going to give you his defence,\u201d defence counsel Casey St. Germain told the jury in an opening statement.<\/p>\n\u201cNow it\u2019s time to hear the other side of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n
B.C. Supreme Court Justice David Layton is presiding over the trial, which started Oct. 5. <\/p>\n
St. Germain first asked Mann a little about himself. He turns 43 in December, and was born and raised in Windsor, Ont., court heard, with his mother and seven younger siblings. <\/p>\n
Mann, dressed in a dark sweatshirt and collared white shirt, sporting a full beard, remained standing while he testified, looking toward counsel as well as the jury and Dunn\u2019s family members and friends who were present in the gallery. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother is black and my father is native,\u201d Mann shared, saying his father left when he was a toddler, and his mother didn\u2019t work, and was on welfare. <\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up poor \u2026 (in) poverty,\u201d Mann said, saying his father struggled with alcohol addiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would become abusive (when he drank) and he would beat me and my other siblings,\u201d Mann said, adding that it happened \u201cevery day.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was placed in foster care around the age of five or six, he said, and started drinking \u201cevery day\u201d around the age of 13 or 14. He didn\u2019t finish high school, but went as far as Grade 10, court heard, and worked in construction sometimes.<\/p>\n
St. Germain asked him about his past criminal record, including a 2003 conviction in Ontario for possession of property obtained by crime, for which he served seven months, as well as a 2009 Ontario conviction for failure to comply with a court order. Mann also confirmed he served a two-month sentence for theft under $5,000, and was convicted of two failures to comply with a court order in Abbotsford, B.C. in 2021, as well as failure to comply with a court order in Vancouver in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to take your attention now to June of 2024,\u201d St. Germain said, asking Mann to describe his life at that time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was poor \u2026 homeless,\u201d Mann said, confirming he was using alcohol and cocaine at the time and that how he consumed cocaine changed over time from snorting it to smoking it. <\/p>\n
He used welfare to fund his habits, he told court, and admitted he would occasionally steal from stores.<\/p>\n
On June 16, he was on a bus in Surrey and \u201cended up getting into a fight with some rando guy on bus \u2026 I thought he took my bag,\u201d Mann said. \u201cAt the end I got off the bus because somebody (said they) called cops on me. \u2026 I seen people with their phones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because he got off the bus early, and not at Scott Road SkyTrain, he didn\u2019t know where he was, Mann testified.<\/p>\n
\u201c(It was) some random neighbourhood. I began looking for a place to hide \u2014 I thought somebody had called the cops on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was looking for another bus stop as well as a place to hide, Mann said, testifying that he had drunk alcohol and used crack cocaine that day. Asked about the impact of drug use, Mann said his short-term memory is affected.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy short-term memory would go \u2026 I\u2019d place something somewhere then two seconds later, forget where I placed it,\u201d said Mann. \u201c(Cocaine) wipes your memory pretty much.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he wandered the random neighbourhood he said he was unfamiliar with, Mann said he was walking down the street when he \u201csaw something shiny out of the corner of my eye\u201d that turned out to be a kitchen knife and cellphone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know if (the items) were stolen or not \u2026 the knife had blood on it, the tip was broken \u2026 so I threw it (away).\u201d<\/p>\n
When St. Germain asked why he threw the knife away, Mann said it looked like it had blood on it, the tip was broken, and it didn\u2019t have a sheath. <\/p>\n
\u201cI could hear sirens \u2026 (the knife) had no value \u2026 it was just a kitchen knife, not a hunting knife.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the cellphone that was found, Mann said \u201cit was my intention was to keep it \u2026 the more cops (that) showed up, the more I got spooked. I didn\u2019t know if phone was stolen or not, so I tossed it,\u201d Mann said, confirming he was wearing a hoodie, black pants and back shoes. <\/p>\n
When asked why he got rid of the hoodie he was wearing, Mann said he thought the police were looking for him because of the fight on the bus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember being in some bushes behind houses,\u201d Mann said.<\/p>\n
He held the knife for \u201cjust seconds,\u201d he told court, but held onto the phone for longer, likely minutes, as he \u201cfigured it was probably valuable,\u201d and that he might be able to get some money for it. <\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t remember where he was when he was detained by police that night, Mann said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just remember a cop jumping out of his vehicle and him detaining me. I\u2019m lost \u2026 I\u2019m not from B.C. \u2026 I was trying to find my way to SkyTrain,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Asked about the toque he had been wearing that night, Mann responded, \u201cI think I tossed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked why, he said it was \u201cto change my description from the fight on the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunn\u2019s family, friends and boyfriend at the time of her death whom she shared the Port Kells hone with, Trafford Wace, listened intently during Mann\u2019s testimony.<\/p>\n
Defence counsel concluded, and Crown counsel Tim Livingston started cross-examination after the morning break.<\/p>\n
Livingston took Mann to the night of June 16, 2024, and showed him and the court several different video surveillance videos \u2014 including bus footage \u2014 that showed someone walking through Dunn\u2019s neighbourhood at different points throughout that evening. <\/p>\n
Mann agreed it was him on the bus wearing a grey hoodie. He said he wasn\u2019t sure where he got on or off the bus, but footage showed it was in the area of 96 Avenue and 192 Street in Surrey. <\/p>\n
Mann said he got off the bus because of an altercation about his bag but couldn\u2019t remember what happened to his bag. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt disappeared either before I got on (the bus) or after I got on, I don\u2019t remember,\u201d Mann testified. <\/p>\n
The bus stop he got off at was 2.4 kilometres from Dunn\u2019s and Wace\u2019s residence, Livingston said, in an industrial\/commercial area, but Mann maintained he didn\u2019t know the area or couldn\u2019t remember.<\/p>\n
Livingston referred Mann to Google maps and more video surveillance to help him remember. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was \u2026 looking for another bus stop or place to hide \u2026 trees or an alley or something that takes me out of view of the public \u2026 I don\u2019t know where. I\u2019m not sure where I ended up at,\u201d said Mann.<\/p>\n
Livingston showed a video of a person walking north on 182A street and asked Mann if that was him. He answered \u201cyes,\u201d and also responded the person in a second video that night was also him, walking up the same street and then crossing the street.<\/p>\n
Livingston showed Mann a Google map and said, \u201cI\u2019d suggest you passed a number of bus stops on 96th avenue,\u201d but Mann didn\u2019t agree.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know \u2026 I didn\u2019t see anything,\u201d he said, noting he was trying to find a hiding place \u201cclose to a bus stop somewhere,\u201d but didn\u2019t see any place to hide or take cover.<\/p>\n
Although he remembered finding a knife and phone, Mann said he couldn\u2019t remember what road he was on or where he was when he found them, even after being shown maps and video. He agreed he had \u201ctossed\u201d the knife but held onto the phone longer.<\/p>\n
Although Mann earlier testified he heard sirens and started running that night, Livingston showed the court video from shortly before 10 p.m. that night <\/p>\n
\u201cSir that\u2019s you, back on video? And you\u2019re crossing in front of 189 Avenue?\u201d Livingston asked. <\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Mann replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d agree you\u2019re not running,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m walking faster,\u201d Mann answered, then amended that to say he was \u201cspeed walking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mann agreed video surveillance showed him taking off his hoodie and round a corner while he was \u201cspeed walking,\u201d and that further video showed him holding the hoodie in his hand. When asked why he took the hoodie off, Mann said he thought police were looking for him because of the fight on the bus. <\/p>\n
\u201cAn hour-and-a-half later, you were suddenly concerned about an altercation that happened an hour-and-a-half earlier, two-and-a-half kilometres away?\u201d Livingston asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Mann answered.<\/p>\n
He agreed it was his hoodie that was later found in some bushes. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to suggest to you, sir, that you changed your hoodie because you stabbed someone,\u201d Livingston said, to which Mann answered, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why you changed your appearance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Mann said,<\/p>\n
Referring to photos and maps as well as video, Livingston showed where the knife was found \u2014 north of Dunn\u2019s home \u2014 but Mann said he couldn\u2019t remember. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I just threw it.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mann agreed he got rid of the cellphone shortly before being detained by a Surrey Police Service constable. <\/p>\n
When shown video of a green building where the knife was found, Mann agreed he could see a road near the building but couldn\u2019t remember if he threw the knife from the paved road to the building. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo you tossed the knife from there to the green building,\u201d Livingston asked, but Mann answered, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re saying you tossed it from paved space?\u201d Livingston queried.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Mann said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut you said to jury you only held onto it for a few seconds,\u201d Livingston reminded him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Mann said again.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a hard time remembering that, sir?\u201d Livingston asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Mann replied. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to suggest to you, sir, that you never tossed the knife. You placed it there against the building,\u201d Livingston said, to which, Mann responded, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
DNA found on blood on the knife blade was a likely match to Dunn<\/a>, Livingston said, while DNA on the handle was a likely match to Mann himself, as well as another, unspecified person. Mann agreed.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m suggesting to you that your DNA was on the knife because you stabbed Tori Dunn with it,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t stab Tori Dunn, and I didn\u2019t step foot in anyone\u2019s home that day either,\u201d Mann responded.<\/p>\n
Livingston noted that Mann\u2019s DNA was on the hoodie as well as what was likely Dunn\u2019s DNA on the sleeve of the hoodie.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Dunn\u2019s DNA is on (the hoodie) because you were wearing it when you stabbed her,\u201d Livingston said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t stab her,\u201d Mann replied.<\/p>\n
Mann also denied taking Dunn\u2019s cellphone or entering the Port Kells home. <\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t step foot in anyone\u2019s house. I didn\u2019t take anything,\u201d said Mann. <\/p>\n
Mann testified his crack cocaine use made him forgetful, and that\u2019s likely why he couldn\u2019t remember what happened to his bag, or where he got rid of the knife or phone. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I was wandering around the neighbourhood \u2026 I\u2019d never been there before, I don\u2019t know where I was when I got off the bus, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Mann said, also saying he didn\u2019t remember how long he was walking, which direction he was walking, where he found the knife and cellphone, or where he left his toque. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut you recall what you heard on police radio,\u201d Livingston said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe description (said) a white guy grey pants \u2026 I\u2019m not white, I wasn\u2019t wearing grey pants \u2026 I didn\u2019t have a clue why I was being arrested,\u201d Mann said. \u201cI didn\u2019t step foot in anyone\u2019s house or stab anyone.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to suggest, sir, you got rid of the phone,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I didn\u2019t stab anyone,\u201d Mann answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou went inside Dunn\u2019s and Wace\u2019s residence,\u201d Livingston continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I didn\u2019t go into anyone\u2019s home,\u201d Mann interjected.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou found your way to kitchen, grabbed a knife, had an altercation with Tori Dunn,\u201d Livingston continued, with Mann saying, \u201cNo. No. No. No. It wasn\u2019t me. No.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Dunn tried to defend herself \u2026 you didn\u2019t know Trafford was there,\u201d Livingston continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I don\u2019t know \u2026 I never seen him before in my life,\u201d Mann answered, adding, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t me. It wasn\u2019t me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He agreed he ditched the toque and hoodie near a townhouse complex, but denied stabbing Dunn again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stabbed her four times,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do anything,\u201d Mann replied. <\/p>\n
After Mann\u2019s testimony, defence rested its case. <\/p>\n
Closing arguments are expected on Wednesday (Oct. 21).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The man accused of stabbing and killing Surrey\u2019s Tori Dunn in Port Kells on June 16, 2024 took…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":939909,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194299],"tags":[49,48,87674],"class_list":["post-939908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-surrey","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-surrey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=939908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/939909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=939908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=939908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=939908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}