‘Am I going to die tonight?’ – victim testified about stabbing that led to conviction, in a case that showed the limits to which someone can claim they are acting in self-defence
A jury in Barrie has convicted an off-duty bartender from Wasaga Beach of aggravated assault for stabbing a rowdy patron.
Sharese Edwards stabbed the woman, claiming she was defending herself during an incident partially recorded on audio outside Studs Lonigans Pub in the resort town early on Oct. 22, 2022.
The woman sustained multiple injuries but survived after being airlifted to a hospital in Toronto.
The trial wrapped up last week at the Barrie courthouse and marked the second attempt; the first trial ended in a mistrial just as jurors were ready to reach a verdict.
Evidence presented during the first trial described a chaotic scene near Edwards’s car while she was trying to leave the parking lot. She wasn’t working that night but had come by for a few drinks, according to court testimony.
The victim shared her experience during both trials, recounting her terrifying moments afterward, asking a first responder, “Am I going to die tonight?”
“We are trying our hardest for that to not happen” was how the responder replied, as recalled by the victim during her testimony in the first trial.
Edwards claimed she felt compelled to defend herself after the woman became disruptive outside, following some issues inside the bar on that night and previous nights when Edwards had been on duty.
The court heard evidence indicating that the victim was included on Studs Lonigans’ discretionary “barred” list-one of about twelve patrons who were served only under specific circumstances due to past misbehavior.
This case is among several recent trials at Barrie courthouse involving knives or other sharp weapons leading to serious injury or death, where defendants have argued self-defence.
While Edwards was found guilty, another jury acquitted Rick Patrick from Midland of second-degree murder last November after he stabbed a man who he claimed had attacked him right in his own driveway.
The single stab wound Patrick delivered to Christopher Forrester turned out fatal.
Forrester had been renting from Patrick at a nearby property. Their encounter marked another dispute within an ongoing complicated relationship that began amicably enough.
No two cases are alike, yet there were similarities between Edwards’ and Patrick’s defenses. Both victims and accused knew each other and experienced declining relationships over time.
A key difference is that Forrester received one stab wound while Edwards’ victim endured multiple injuries.
Additively, there’s another case involving Anil Ramdas from Barrie who hit two people with a machete while claiming he acted out of necessity to protect his son involved in an altercation with them.
The judge dismissed Ramdas’s defense for various reasons which essentially boiled down to him having alternatives rather than resorting to violence.
The fact that Ramdas ran away from the scene and disposed of his weapon into Lake Simcoe didn’t help his situation either. Both victims suffered minor injuries due to this attack; one even required hospital treatment.
Simplifying things further-like Ramdas did-Edwards also fled after what happened; however, Patrick stayed behind desperately trying to assist Forrester by calling 911 for urgent help.
This September will see Ramdas sentenced while Edwards is scheduled back in court on Wednesday for setting up sentencing submissions dates.
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