The trial of a man charged with stabbing another outside Shoppers Drug Mart on Lemarchant Road in St. John’s last year came to a quick end Wednesday morning.
Christopher Michael Tucker was acquitted in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and breaches of court orders.
Crown prosecutor Jennifer Colford had called a number of witnesses to testify, including the alleged victim, who told the court he had been stabbed in the lower torso, but couldn’t remember what had happened or what he had told police at the time. He had declined to let them take photos of his injuries.
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RNC Const. Andrea Crane told the court that police had located a number of items at the scene, including a knife blade and drops of blood, but the alleged victim had declined to provide a DNA sample, so no DNA analysis was done on them. No fingerprints were found on the blade, Crane said.
On Tuesday, two Shoppers Drug Mart employees testified to having witnessed an altercation between two men that started inside the store and continued in the parking lot, though neither of the store employees said they saw a knife.
A third employee, the pharmacist, said she recognized Tucker and the victim when police showed her a photo of the fight outside, since both men were regular clients of the drugstore.
On Wednesday, Colford told the court she wouldn’t be calling any other witnesses and suggested the charges be dismissed.
Justice Donald Burrage acquitted Tucker, since the required elements of the offences hadn’t been established.
Twitter: @tara_bradbury
