Jury gets a preview of the Crown’s case against Elfgard Oughtred

The trial of an elderly woman accused of killing her husband began in Brantford. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk reports.

The trial of a Brant County woman, charged with killing her 82-year-old husband, began on Monday morning.

Gordon Oughtred was found dead in his home on Salt Springs Church Road, just south of Brantford, on Nov. 24, 2022.

It was initially reported as a sudden death but later ruled a homicide.

Ontario Provincial Police charged his wife, Elfgard Oughtred, with second-degree murder in 2024.

Trial: Day 1

The jury, made up of nine women and three men, were debriefed Monday morning on the plan for the trial.

The Crown then laid out their case against Elfgard.

They told the jury Gordon was found lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen of the couple’s farmhouse. Blood also stained the walls.

The victim, they said, had multiple lacerations on his head and cuts on his hands.

According to the Crown, the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

They also touched on a possible motive for the crime.

The Crown claimed Elfgard had a gambling addiction and the problem was a source of conflict between the couple.

As for what happened the day of the murder, the Crown noted that Elfgard’s statements to police were inconsistent.

The jury were also told that, while in custody, Elfgard admitted to killing Gordon in a conversation with her daughter.

An agreed statement of facts is expected to be read out in court on Tuesday. The Crown said it plans on calling several witnesses, including police and paramedics who responded to Salt Springs Church Road on the day Gordon died.