Man accused of killing Calgary woman cross-examined during trial

The accused killer in a Beltline stabbing was cross-examined by Crown prosecutors on Thursday.

The notes of the man accused in the fatal stabbing of a Calgary fitness instructor were described in court during cross-examination on Thursday, indicating plans to “beat up three times, rape, torture” and to kill people to gain superpowers.

Michael Adenyi, 29, spoke from the witness stand Thursday to testify that he is not criminally responsible (NCR) by reason of a medical disorder for the death of 30-year-old Vanessa Ladouceur.

Adenyi is charged with first-degree murder.

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Ladouceur was walking to work along 10th Avenue S.E. in the early morning of March 18, 2022, when she was attacked.

The jury heard on Wednesday that Adenyi had been seeing shadows, demons and “animalistic creatures” and hearing voices in the months and moments leading up to the attack.

The defence counsel argued that he was suffering from a medical disorder and unable to understand or appreciate that his actions were wrong.

Crown Prosecutor Carla MacPhail argued Adenyi knowingly wrote in his two red notebooks and on his phone about serial killers, social media influences and celebrities.

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Earlier in March, the jury heard that he wrote in his notebook to kill “ppl” (people) for powers.

Adenyi repeated, “I don’t know,” when asked directly if he wrote those notes.

Day of the stabbing attack

MacPhail suggested that Adenyi could ignore some creatures but deliberately attacked the “creature” of Ladouceur.

She said the accused ran closer to the victim once cars on the street had driven off so he wouldn’t be seen.

As well, MacPhail said Adenyi stabbed Ladouceur out of rage, only stopping the blows after 11 seconds when someone yelled at him to stop the attack.

“You decided to kill her when you saw her,” said MacPhail.

Adenyi repeatedly responded “no” to this line of questioning.

“You knew what you were doing that day, killing a human being, and you knew it was wrong,” said MacPhail as she ended her cross-examination of Adenyi.

Earlier in the trial

Police interrogators told the court that the accused had not mentioned hallucinations after his arrest and that he seemed in a jovial mood.

Adenyi had denied to police it was him in the closed-circuit video footage leading up to and after the attack.

Family and supporters of both the accused and the victim have attended multiple days of the trial.

It resumes after the holiday and is expected to extend to April 25

Not Criminally Responsible

Speaking generally and not specifically about this case, a criminology expert says it’s quite unusual for the defendant of a violent offence to testify during the court proceedings arguing they are NCR.

Doug King, justice studies professor at Mount Royal University, said a clinical psychiatric assessment is often presented in a trail.

King also added that credibility and reliability of the evidence presented is weighed by the judge or jury.

“It is one thing to say something in a court of law. The next question is then, ‘Is what was said credible or reliable?’” King said.

King estimates that fewer than one per cent of trials for fatal violent offences end up with an NCR determination each year in the Canadian justice system.

He adds that in many cases, a person determined NCR will spend a lengthy time in psychiatric hospital care.