BY KEITH LACEY
A 12-member jury has found Deborah Towegishig, 33, not guilty of aggravated assault after stabbing a stranger in the back following several minutes of violent chaos.
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Towegishig testified Thursday she was acting in self-defence. That was good enough for the jury.
The jury took about six hours on Friday afternoon to find her guilty of possession of a weapon
Justice Ian Gordon withdrew an aggravated assault charge Wednesday against Colleen Finlayson, 44, also known as Caline Callais.
Gordon ruled there was not sufficient evidence to suggest Finlayson participated in any stabbing or had anything to do with the violence that took place last August.
Towegishig testified she saw a male friend of hers being beat up badly by Joey Jeanveau outside a convenience store located across the street from a Notre Dame Avenue bar. She said all involved had been drinking at the night in question.
Jeanveau testified TowegishigÂ?s friend, Kevin Garcia, pulled a knife on him and thought he was about to be robbed when he defended himself and laid a severe beating on Garcia.
Towegishig admitted she followed Jeanveau, who was chasing Garcia to the church parking lot.
However, she says Jeanveau punched her in the face and threw Finlayson several feet in the air.
Jeanveau gave a totally different version of events testifying a female friend of his punched Towegishig in the face and he denied touching either Towegishig or Finlayson at any time.
Towegishig said she carried a knife in her purse at all times since being assaulted and Â?nearly killedÂ? three years ago, she said.
After watching Jeanveau assault Garcia, punch her in the face and throw Finlayson, Towegishig admitted she was Â?scared and afraidÂ? and proceeded to take the knife out of her purse and stabbed Jeanveau once in the back.
Â?I just wanted him to stop,Â? she said.
Jeanveau immediately stopped his assault against her and Finlayson after being stabbed and finally left them alone and walked away, she said.
She didnÂ?t see any blood and didnÂ?t believe Jeanveau had been seriously hurt, she said.
The trial has heard Jeanveau ended up across the street to the Food Basics parking lot and an ambulance was called and he was rushed to hospital.
Towegishig said she went to the Food Basics parking lot to see if Garcia was there.
When asked by assistant Crown attorney Len Walker if she uttered words to Jeanveau that he Â?got what he deservedÂ?and I hope you die.Â?
Towegishig said she was so upset and angry she could have uttered such words.
Jeanveau earlier vehemently denied Towegishig attacked him only after he beat up Garcia.
Â?I totally disagree,Â? said Jeanveau, when it was suggested by defence counsel Andrew Buttazzoni Jeanveau initiated the fight against Garcia because he was homophobic and believed Garcia was gay.
Jeanveau, a Calgary oil rigger who used to make Sudbury home, insisted he acted only in self-defence after Garcia pulled a knife on him.
Believing he was about to be robbed or threatened, Jeanveau said he immediately grabbed the man and laid a serious beating on him.
He knocked the man down and tried to kick at him, but missed causing the sandal on one foot to fall off, he said.
At this point, Garcia got up and ran and he tried to chase after him because he admitted he wanted to inflict further violence and subdue him for police, said Jeanveau.
However, Garcia was too far away and he decided to give up the chase, he said.
Within seconds after stopping running, he felt a deep pain in his back and initially he believed heÂ?d been Â?stabbed by a beer bottle,Â? said Jeanveau.
He tried to punch at Towegishig and Finlayson, but realized heÂ?d been stabbed and stumbled in severe pain to the Food Basics parking lot, he said.
Towegishig was the Â?heavy set womanÂ? he described to police, he said.
After the incident, Towegishig approached him in a vehicle and told him Â?you deserve what you got. I hope you die,Â? said Jeanveau.
Under intense cross-examination by Buttazzoni, Jeanveau admitted he told police the man he saw with the knife inside the store was Â?a fag.Â?
When Buttazzoni suggested it was Jeanveau who started the fight and could have ended the violence sooner, again Jeanveau didnÂ?t deny it.
Jeanveau insisted he was acting only in self-defence and wanted to knock the man unconscious so he could keep him under control until police arrived.
When Buttazzoni suggested Jeanveau was stabbed only after he punched Towegishig in the face and turned to punch Finlayson, he disagreed.
When Buttazzoni suggested the violence started because Jeanveau is homophobic and wanted to beat up a gay man, he denied it.
Jeanveau responded his mother is a lesbian and he Â?was raised by lesbians and been around gays my whole lifeÂ?I have nothing against gays.Â?
