‘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 disruptive patron.
Sharese Edwards used a knife on the woman, arguing it was self-defence during an incident captured partially by audio outside Studs Lonigans Pub early on October 22, 2022.
The victim sustained multiple injuries but survived after being flown to a hospital in Toronto.
This trial wrapped up last week at the Barrie courthouse and was actually the second trial. The first one ended with a mistrial just before the jury was set to deliberate.
Evidence from the initial trial depicted a chaotic situation near Edwards’s vehicle as she tried to leave the parking area. Although she wasn’t working that night, she had stopped by for a few drinks, according to court testimony.
The victim spoke during both trials about her traumatic experience, asking one of the first responders, “Am I going to die tonight?”
“We are trying our hardest for that to not happen” was how the responder replied, as recounted by the victim in her first trial testimony.
Edwards testified that she felt compelled to defend herself after an altercation broke out outside, which followed earlier issues inside the bar on both that night and previous occasions when Edwards had been working there.
The court heard evidence indicating that the victim was on Studs Lonigans’ discretionary “barred” list; this meant she could only be served under certain conditions due to her past behavior problems.
This case is among several recent trials at Barrie’s courthouse involving knives or similar weapons resulting in serious injury or death where defendants claimed self-defence.
While Edwards was found guilty, last November a Midland man named Rick Patrick was acquitted of second-degree murder after he stabbed another man who he said attacked him while he was in his driveway.
The single stab wound inflicted by Patrick on Christopher Forrester ended up being fatal.
Forrester had been renting from Patrick nearby. This incident marked the final confrontation between them after their relationship had soured over time despite starting off friendly.
No two cases are identical; however, there were similarities between Edwards’s and Patrick’s defenses. Both victims knew their assailants and experienced deteriorating relationships with them leading up to these incidents.
A key difference lies in how many times each victim was injured: Forrester suffered one stab wound while Edwards’s victim endured multiple injuries.
In another case before an Ontario Superior Court judge, Barrie resident Anil Ramdas attacked two others with a machete, insisting he acted out of necessity to protect his son involved in an altercation with those victims.
The judge rejected Ramdas’s defense based on several reasons pointing towards him having alternative options besides resorting to violence.
Ramdas’s situation worsened because he fled from authorities and disposed of his weapon into Lake Simcoe. Both victims sustained minor injuries during this attack; one required hospital care afterward.
Interestingly enough, like Ramdas did after his incident, Edwards also left the scene. In contrast, Patrick stayed behind trying desperately to assist Forrester while calling 911 for urgent help.
Ramdas will face sentencing in September; meanwhile,
Edwards returns for court this Wednesday setting up dates for sentencing discussions.
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Ramdas will face sentencing in September; meanwhile,
Edwards returns for court this Wednesday setting up dates for sentencing discussions.
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