Midland man, accused of second-degree homicide of Orillia native, walks free after three-week trial; ‘it was only a tragic set of circumstances,’ says lawyer
Rick Patrick walked out of the Barrie courthouse a free man Friday night after being discovered not responsible of second-degree homicide within the stabbing loss of life of Christopher Forrester.
“I appreciate it but not now, sorry,” stated an emotional Patrick, when he was requested for remark shortly after leaving the courtroom.
Patrick quickly stepped outdoors into chilly, windy circumstances — virtually similar to these on the night time Forrester died 9 days earlier than Christmas in 2021 — and drove off into the night time.
“It was absolutely the right verdict,” stated Parick’s defence lawyer, Alison Craig. “…just a tragic set of circumstances that (got us here).”
Ten members of Forrester’s household had been available for the decision, together with his mom, father and each of his brothers. They didn’t make any feedback however had been clearly upset as they handed by Patrick when leaving the courtroom.
Three members of the jury could possibly be seen wiping away tears. Justice Clyde Smith, who had presided over the three-week trial in Superior Court docket, dismissed the panel quickly after.
It was by no means unsure that the then 65-year-old killed Forrester, a 36-year-old Orillia native who had been residing in Patrick’s trailer, after stabbing him as soon as in his driveway on Galloway Boulevard in Midland.
The Crown was making an attempt to show the retired Midland man had the requisite intent for second-degree homicide, or failing that greater bar, the lesser cost of manslaughter.
Forrester’s gloves had been discovered on the scene, a mannequin of which an Ontario Provincial Police officer testified weren’t permitted by the drive as a result of they’re identified to trigger harm. A number of days later, wire cutters had been additionally discovered a brief distance away by against the law scene technician; they apparently had been purchased there by the deceased on the night time in query.
Regardless of his dying declaration to the identical OPP officer who discovered the gloves that he “just wanted to talk” to Patrick, it instructed that Forrester could have had ill-intent when he arrived at Patrick’s residence, which was a brief distance from the trailer.
Patrick was on the stand for 2 days and maintained that he arrived residence on a chilly, windy night and was attacked by Forrester, who he stated had his arm raised. Patrick testified that he scrambled to seize a knife that he had been carrying for cover.
“I could feel the cold steel of the blade,” Patrick testified, however he claimed to recollect little of the deadly encounter due to how briskly it occurred.
The Crown had a troublesome case. The agreed info within the case and different displays such because the 911 calls not solely detailed the unhappy ending of Forrester’s life simply earlier than Christmas three years in the past, nevertheless it additionally provided a template for Patrick’s defence.
Each time Crown legal professional Dennis Chronopoulos tried to make use of the extended landlord-tenant dispute as Patrick’s motive of ill-intent, it additionally confirmed proof of Forrester’s declining psychological well being.
These struggles had been initially dominated out by Smith, however the Crown’s personal proof introduced it again in. Smith reversed his earlier resolution mid-trial and finally allowed Craig to quote Forrester’s psychological state as a contributing issue why her consumer feared him.
Forrester had a felony document for assaulting a lady that led on to him being kicked out of his earlier lodging at a Fesserton lodge. He moved into Patrick’s trailer however quickly stopped paying lease and displayed more and more weird behaviour, courtroom heard. By the top of his life, he was suspected in a number of acts of vandalism to Patrick’s property and had a warrant out for his arrest.
It wasn’t at all times that method between the 2 former buddies. Forrester’s social media accounts made their friendship plain, not least was one Fb put up from March 2020. In that put up, Forrester particulars his struggles discovering appropriate lodging after a stint in hospital and proper across the time he pleaded responsible to the assault cost.
“Successful future ahead,” was the primary response to his put up.
It was from Rick Patrick, who 21 months later killed him with a knife that Forrester had given him for Christmas.
