The on-again-off-again relationship of Melinda Vasilije and Ager Hasan was highlighted in court on Monday as the second-degree murder trial began its fifth week.
Hasan has admitted to stabbing Melinda Vasilije but says she attacked him first and he blacked out soon after grabbing a knife. Court previously heard Vasilije was stabbed 47 times.
Last week, Hasan took the unusual step of taking the stand to testify in his own defence.
Crown lawyer Brandan Thomas began cross-examination on Friday, going through text messages between Hasan and Vasilije sent in the days before her death.
On Monday morning, Thomas reviewed messages going back earlier in the relationship, focusing on the couple’s many breakups and reconciliations.
Hasan and Vasiljie began dating in February of 2016.
The Crown took the court through the nine breakups the couple went through in a span of just eight months.
These breakups only lasted a few days at most, in one case only a few hours.
Often the reason - or contributing factor - to the breakup was Hasan’s insecurity over cheating, and preoccupation that Vasilije was unfaithful.
Despite previous testimony that it was Hasan who had been unfaithful while they dated.
Thomas asked is these breakups were short, and no more than a few days.
Hasan answered “Yes.”
Thomas then asked in Hasan and Vasilije were sending text messages in these exchanges.
“Yes,” Hasan answered.
Thomas asked if either person would drive to the other person’s home during these breakups to confront the other person.
This time, Hasan answered: “No.”
These questions highlighted a major difference between the previous breakups and the final breakup on April 3.
Court previously heard that breakup lasted 24 days – ending the night Vasaljie was stabbed to death.
Hasan sent 64 unanswered tests to Vasiljie between the night they finally broke up and the night she died.
