Two family members of a Wolseley woman accused of second-degree murder testified Thursday morning at her trial.
Brenda Schuff has pleaded not guilty in the death of her neighbour Judy Kenny.
Jurors have previously heard Kenny was found with significant stab wounds in the kitchen of her Camden Place home in the early morning hours of April 10, 2017 and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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During questioning by Crown attorney Debbie Buors, Schuff’s common-law partner, Rob Atkins, testified that around 3:30 a.m. that same morning Schuff tried to shake him awake while he was sleeping upstairs in their home located two doors away from Kenny’s.
Atkins told court, at first he tried to ignore Schuff but she kept shaking him.
“She just seemed like she was in shock,” Atkins testified. “She’s trying to speak to me but words aren’t coming out properly.”
Atkins told court he woke up and followed Schuff downstairs.
“I noticed that she had some blood on her hands and her shirt,” he testified. “She had said something about Judy being outside.
“I did not know what was going on.”
Atkins told court he asked Schuff if they should call police.
Buors asked Atkins, “What was her response?”
“No response,” Atkins testified. “Shortly after that the red and blue lights from the police were at the side of our house.”
“She was on the front sidewalk speaking with the police officer. Shortly after, he handcuffed her and escorted her to a police cruiser.”
Atkins told court the time between Schuff waking him up and police arriving in the neighbourhood all happened within a matter of five or six minutes.
Atkins testified he and Schuff had a friend over for dinner and a few drinks the evening before, describing it as a very casual night.
When asked to describe Schuff’s level of intoxication before he went to bed, Atkins told court: “She was not very intoxicated.”
Atkins testified Schuff’s level of intoxication after she woke him up was about the same as when he went to bed.
“If it wasn’t for the events that bring us here today I don’t think I’d even remember this evening,” Atkins told defence lawyer Matt Gould during cross-exanimation. “It was pretty quiet.”
While under cross-examination Atkins testified Schuff was not a violent person and that he had never seen Schuff hit anyone or fight anyone.
Gould asked, “Have you ever had any concern about physical violence with Brenda?”
“No,” Atkins testified. “Never been concerned.”
Those same sentiments were echoed by Schuff’s 22-year-old son, Alexander Schuff, during his testimony.
When asked if he’s ever seen his mom get angry he testified: “She was all bark, not bite.”
“She could yell, it was intimidating,” Alexander told court.
Alexander testified he arrived home around 1 a.m. on April 10, 2017 and went to his bedroom to play video games.
He told court he heard the porch door swing shut and then heard his mom coming up the stairs.
“She was kind of moaning and whining,” Alexander told court. “It seemed severe.”
He told court he heard Schuff ask for help but he stayed in his room and then heard Atkins talking to his mom.
He later saw police outside their house before three officers went up to his room and told him get his shoes at which point he observed some blood in the kitchen.
Alexander testified the night before he had been playing music with instruments in his room with his mom and the friend they had over for dinner and “everyone seemed to be pretty happy.”
The trial continues.
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