Jury to decide fate of Shelburne, Ont. man accused of killing pregnant girlfriend

The trial of a Shelburne man accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend is soon heading to a jury.

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The fate of a Shelburne, Ont. man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend will soon be in the hands of an Owen Sound jury.

Justice Gisele Miller will begin instructing the jury Wednesday morning in the trial of Wazhir Gafoor, 36, accused of violently beating and killing Christina Yadram in October 2021.

The court heard Yadram’s lifeless body was found in a wooded area of Northern Bruce Peninsula on October 10, 2021, with her mouth and nose covered, and she’d been bound with duct tape.

The Crown told the jury Yadram had been asphyxiated while six months pregnant with Gafoor’s child. Gafoor was married at the time and had children with his wife while carrying on the extra-marital affair.

The Crown said Gafoor demanded Yadram terminate the pregnancy, but she refused.

Yadram, was a mother of three girls, including one with Gafoor. The court heard evidence she was found with severe injuries that the Crown said were a result of a vicious beating at the hands of her partner.

The court heard Gafoor rented a U-Haul van to carry out his plan. The van was spotted in Moonstone the day before Yadram’s death. Police said Gafoor was arrested following the discovery of her remains.

The accused is represented by defence lawyers Stephanie Marcade and Anthony Bryant, who told the jury Gafoor should be found guilty of manslaughter and not murder, and that Gafoor killed Yadram, but never intended to take her life and instead sought to induce a miscarriage.

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