Accused describes traumatic childhood during Kitchener murder trial

A man charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend in Kitchener six years ago took the stand to testify in his own defence Wednesday.

Melinda Vasilije was found dead in her Country Hill Drive apartment on April 28, 2017. The jury previously heard she was stabbed 47 times.

The accused, Ager Hasan, has admitted to killing Vasilije, but insisted she attacked him first.

Hasan has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Vasilije’s death. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, although the Crown did not accept that plea.

On Wednesday, Hasan began his testimony by answering questions from his lawyer – with his defence team forgoing an opening statement and instead calling Hasan immediately to the stand.

Hasan answered ‘yes’ when asked if he stabbed Vasilije and ‘yes’ when asked if he killed her.

“Did you intend to kill her,” the lawyer asked.

“No,” Hasan answered.

On the stand, Hasan spoke of a troubled childhood, including immigrating to Canada from Iraq when he was a child.

He testified to living with a violent father who abused his mother and threatened her with a knife.

He spoke about being attacked and beaten with a pipe by an adult when he was 14-years-old.

Hasan dropped out of school when he was 16, and said he was depressed and anxious. This included two attempted suicides, Hasan testified.

At one point, Hasan's lawyer put up a picture of Hasan with two friends – Alan, who died by suicide, and the other, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who died in the 2014 attack on parliament.

Hasan testified the two were close friends, and Cirillo was like an older brother who helped him through a dark time.

The jury heard that Alan died around one week before Hasan and Vasilije went on their first date on Feb. 8, 2016.

Just before court ended for the day, the jury heard about the final months of Hasan and Vasilije’s relationship, which Hasan said endured many breakups and reconciliations initiated by both sides.

The final breakup happened in early April, 2017.

The defence characterized Hasan as being in a very dark and anxious place after the breakup, desperate to get back together as they had many times before.

More details are expected Thursday when Hasan continues his testimony.

SOME OF WHAT THE JURY PREVIOUSLY HEARD

During the first three weeks of trial, the Crown laid out its case.

The jury heard from several witnesses, including the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Vasilije's body.

Dr. Linda Kocovski testified Vasilije was stabbed dozens of times.

Kocovski said there were stab wounds and cuts on Vasilije’s hands that appear to be defensive injuries, some likely caused by trying to grab a blade.

Kocovski determined the cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest.

The stab wounds appeared to be concentrated on her upper body, with 27 of them on her neck, six on her chest and the rest on her face, back and arms.

In cross-examination, Hasan's lawyer showed Dr. Kocovski another video that she wasn't previously given by police to analyze, which shows Hasan in a car with something on his left wrist.

Dr. Kocovski said she was unable to determine exactly what was on his wrist from the video, but agreed with Hasan’s lawyer it is possible it was a cut or some kind of healing wound, and that its characteristics were more like a defensive or accidental wound.

TEXT MESSAGES HEARD BY THE JURY

From pleas to get back together to assurances he'd never hurt her and requests for visits, the jury saw and heard multiple texts sent from Hasan’s phone to former partner Melinda Vasilije in the month leading up to her death.

Court heard Vasilije broke up with Hasan in a text on April 3, 2017. She was killed just over three weeks later.

One of the texts read in part: “I don’t know what else to say other than i’m sorry. I still and will always love you but I’m just not happy anymore (sic).”

Another read: “I don’t want to get over what we had. If anyone tells you our relationship was toxic they are wrong. Yes, we fought a lot but it’s only because of our cultural differences, but I was slowly starting to change for the better.”

The messages continued: “We can work out any situation, as long as there was no cheating or hitting involed (sic).”

Another reading, “we’re gonna get married, then we’re gonna have kids. 3 to be exact.”

On April 20, Melinda responded by saying she was sorry for everything and added: “You honestly need to let me go.”

The pair eventually agreed to meet up with Hasan coming to Vasilije’s apartment in the early morning hours of April 28.

The last text Hasan sent to her at 3:39 a.m. reads in part, “nice seeing you tonight glad we worked things out!! … anyways see you soon (sic).”

The jury had previously heard Melinda Vasilje was found dead around 2:30 a.m.

MELINDA VASILIJE’S SISTER GIVES TEARFUL TESTIMONY

The sister of Melinda Vasilije gave tearful testimony on the stand in the early days of the trial.

Vasilije's older sister, Christina Vasilije, took the witness stand, sobbing at times as she remembered her sister.

Christina Vasilije described her relationship with Melinda Vasilije as close – until the time Melinda Vasilije started dating Hasan.

Christina Vasilije said Melinda Vasilije and Hasan’s relationship was “kind of hidden … my sister really didn’t share much.”

She said she knew her sister had broken up with Hasan on April 3, 2017, and she was one of a few people at Melinda’s new apartment on Country Hill Drive that night when he showed up banging on the patio door.

"IN A PILE OF BLOOD"

A friend of Melinda Vasilije's roommate took the witness stand, testifying she went to Vasilije’s Kitchener apartment on April 28, 2017 because Vasilije’s roommate, Anna Manda, asked her to come over.

Ilona Huynh said she and Manda left the apartment twice that evening. When they returned home the first time, a man was with Vasilije in her bedroom.

According to Huynh, the pair did not see who the man was but assumed it was Hasan because they were expecting him to visit.

Huynh said when the pair entered the apartment Manda yelled out “are you OK?”

Vasilije answered she was.

The pair then hung out in the living room for a while before leaving again to pick up fast food, Huynh testified.

When they arrived home after picking up food, they opened the door to find Vasilije’s body “in a pile of blood” around 2:30 a.m. on April 28.