One of the victims of the 2021 Bruce Avenue fatal fire that claimed three lives told police she felt unsafe with the man now charged in her death and that he controlled money that she received, a Sudbury court heard March 25.
Jamie-Lynn Rose, 33, was in what’s been described as an “on-again, off-again” relationship with Liam Stinson, the man who is now on trial for his alleged role in fire that killed Guy Henri, Jasmine Somers and Rose herself, as well as severely injuring another man, David Cheff, who testified at trial last week.
A Greater Sudbury police officer for the last 24 years, Const. Katherine Hucal testified to a Dec. 20, 2020, interaction with Rose that occurred after the officer had been dispatched to an address on Cambrian Heights Drive. That address was a residence leased to Liam Stinson.
Hucal didn’t testify to the reason GSPS officers were dispatched to locate Rose that day.
The woman wasn’t at the location provided and after looking around the property, the officers found a person with a key to the residence (a “keyholder” is what Hucal called this person), who let them in.
Upon entering the unit, Hucal said she observed “a house in disarray,” empty beer cans scattered, sticky floors with spills on them, “clothes all over the floors” and a large hunting knife in a case.
During this effort, Hucal testified police were also trying to contact Stinson, which they did shortly after they exited his unit.
Hucal testified she eventually found Rose at the warming centre formerly located at 19 Frood Road, “sipping hot chocolate.” Hucal testified she did not appear to be under the influence, nor did she have any observable injuries nor did she report any.
She testified that Rose told her she was done with Stinson. “She stated that she did not feel safe and was scared of Liam.”
Hucal testified Rose said she wanted to go back to Timmins, and the officer said she was able to get Rose some clothing, get her back into the Cambrian Heights Drive unit she shared with Stinson and bought her a bus ticket. The GSPS officer said she also connected Rose with victim services in Timmins.
Hucal testified that Rose “felt that there was no way else to seek help. She had no money.”
What’s more, the officer testified that Rose told her she received $500 each Thursday, but as she had no identification and no bank card, Rose would e-transfer the money to Stinson.
“So Mr. Stinson was the only way for her to get the money,” said Hucal.
Pathology and toxicology
The jury also heard from a forensic pathologist and toxicologist, who further detailed post-mortem findings of the three victims.
On March 22, the jury heard from Dr. Martin Queen who detailed the cause of death for both Somers and Henri. March 25 saw testimony from Magdaleni Bellis, an anatomical and forensic pathologist who performed the post-mortem examination of Rose. Rose died at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto five days after the April 11, 2021, fire.
Rose had only thermal injuries to her body, Bellis testified, meaning the only visible wounds were the burns “that go deeper than a sunburn into the subcutaneous tissue,” said Crown Attorney Alayna Jay. Those burns covered 30 to 40 per cent of her body, including her face.
The toxicology report showed a combination of methamphetamine, hydromorphone, ketamine and traces of fentanyl in Rose’s body. Bellis testified it is likely that all but the methamphetamine was administered at the hospital.
Bellis determined Rose died of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. She also testified that while not causally related to the immediate cause of death, methamphetamine and “toxic intoxication” was a “significant condition contributing to death.”
The Crown then called Trevor Beaudoin, a toxicologist with the Centre for Forensic Science, who detailed for the jury each substance and the complex ways it metabolizes in the human body. He noted the metabolic byproducts scientists use to determine the amounts of drugs in the system and a rough timeline of consumption, often referred to as half-life (the time it takes for the amount of a drug's active substance in your body to reduce by half). He also indicated one couldn't determine exactly when these drugs could have been consumed.
Wilkinson asked about how alcohol and cocaine interact.
Beaudoin testified that alcohol is a nervous system depressant, even if it feels at first like alcohol is a stimulant; that is only the “social disinhibition.”
And while some believe that taking a stimulant such as cocaine with alcohol would counteract the depressant effects of drinking, that is not the case.
“Perceived experience might be that taking a stimulant after a depressant wakes them up; however that is not how the pharmacology of that works, that’s not how drugs work,” said Beaudoin.
Wilkinson asked whether high doses of stimulants could cause feelings of paranoia, anxiety and have an affect on memory. Beaudoin agreed that these were all possibilities.
Wilkinson also asked about the effects of cocaethylene, an active metabolite of mixing alcohol and cocaine, which, rather than a byproduct, “can produce pharmacological effects that are equi-potent to cocaine,” Beaudoin said.
“Extends the half life of cocaine,” said Beaudoin. “Essentially, it produces similar effects at similar concentration.”
Beaudoin said it would affect “cognitive faculties, risk-taking behaviors and how you are acting with other people,”
He also testified that cocaethylene would affect memory, as “forming and making memories is complex and requires chemicals in the brain,” and the ability to notice or perceive your environment enough to even form a memory could be impaired.
“Even if it is stored, you may not recall it later,” Beaudoin said.
The trial will continue beginning at 10 a.m. today.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com
