‘My purpose was to survive’: Bradford man accused of murder tells jury

The Bradford, Ont. man accused of murder in the stabbing of a Good Samaritan three years ago completed his testimony saying he did not attack the man prior to killing him.

Brandon Aaron, 23, denied repeated suggestions by the Crown he was the aggressor when violence broke out between Aaron and David Goddard, 59, whom police described as a hero who stepped in to help Aaron’s former girlfriend after she’d been assaulted by Aaron along Holland Street West September 4, 2022.

Aaron was on the witness stand Thursday and Friday, where he disagreed with Crown Attorney Elizabeth Stokes who suggested Aaron became enraged when Good Samaritan David Goddard intervened, and Aaron stabbed Goddard 20 times along the side of the road.

The court heard Goddard bled profusely and died on scene.

“In order to inflict that damage, you stabbed him as hard as you could,” said Stokes.

“I stabbed him as hard as I needed to” replied Aaron “My purpose was to survive.”

The Crown suggested Aaron, already with a knife in hand, got angry when Goddard told him to leave the young woman alone and walk the other way after the young woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban as she was 17 at the time, asked Goddard to walk her home.

Aaron testified he was attacked by Goddard, who pushed, punched and choked him after he was knocked on his back on the grass.

“You didn’t stab him because you were being choked,” the Crown suggested to Aaron, “You stabbed him because he got between you and your girlfriend,” she said.

“He upset you by trying to take her away from you and when he stepped up to you, you went to stab him,” she told Aaron.

“I did not attack him” Aaron responded.

The accused said he could not remember the sequence of events or how many times he stabbed Goddard after telling the court he was on his back, reached for his knife from his side bag and stabbed the stranger to break free.

The Crown called Aaron’s version of events “impossible” and told Aaron he was aware of how seriously he had wounded the man.

“You do remember exactly where you stabbed him and you’re claiming not to remember because it’s very bad for you,” said Stokes.

Aaron testified seeing Goddard standing upright despite being stabbed several times before he left the scene and walked home through a field to avoid being seen.’

“Because you knew that you had stabbed that person over and over,” the Crown told Aaron. “And that person was probably dead.”

Aaron denied becoming increasingly angry with his girlfriend or Goddard when he stepped in. Aaron testified he simply wanted to ensure she got home safely that night.

“I don’t know how she got hurt,” he told the court. He remembered she had hurt her wrist or arm but was not clear on what the injury was or how it happened. Instead, Aaron told the jury he was the one assaulted by his girlfriend with a flashlight she had borrowed from a nearby gas station to help her find her missing cell phone she believed Aaron lost earlier that night.

Both Aaron and his former girlfriend said they were intoxicated after a night out drinking and partying.

Hours after the incident police interviewed the young woman. She told investigators Aaron dragged her by her hair and struck her repeatedly with the flashlight, breaking her forearm. She changed her story during trial when she testified she broke her forearm picking herself up off the ground during an argument with Aaron. She had previously told police Aaron held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.

Aaron admitted to changing his clothes when he got home. He then conceded he sent several text messages on Instagram to the young woman reciting a version of events that included Aaron telling her he was going to tell police “It was self defense.”

“I’m going to be gone for a very long time,” one message read. “I don’t care that you told on me.”

Aaron was convicted of violating his court-imposed non-communication order with his former girlfriend. He admitted to calling and emailing her for months.

The young woman’s mother described the relationship between her daughter and Aaron as “toxic” and “abusive.”

The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Thursday following instructions from Justice Jill Cameron.