Everton Downey broke down in a Vancouver courtroom Tuesday as he recalled stabbing his girlfriend Melissa Blimkie at Burnaby's Metrotown mall three years ago.
"I loved Melissa; I would never do something like that to her," he said.
Downey, 34, testified in his own defence Tuesday in B.C. Supreme Court.
He is on trial for second-degree murder in the death of his 25-year-old former girlfriend, who bled to death in a Metrotown mall stairwell.
His judge-alone trial began in January but has proceeded in segments to accommodate the preparation of psychiatric reports and the schedules of the lawyers involved.
Downey has admitted to stabbing Blimkie at about 11:38 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2021 but has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder.
The Crown told the court at the beginning of the trial that Downey does not admit how many times he stabbed Blimkie or that he caused her death.
The main issue in the trial, according to the prosecution, is Downey's mental state at the time he stabbed his late girlfriend and whether he was suffering from a mental disorder rendering him not criminally responsible or whether he had the criminal intent to commit murder.
'Sketched out'
Downey and Blimkie met in 2019 through a mutual friend and started dating within a couple of months, according to Downey's testimony.
He said his relationship with her after they moved into their North Vancouver condo in the summer of 2021 was "good" and he was "happy" but "bored" because of COVID-19 restrictions.
In the months leading up to the fatal stabbing, however, he said he began to believe he was being watched and followed and drugged.
He said it began when he discovered a computer chip in his B.C. identification card.
He examined Blimkie's card and discovered hers had one too, but he didn't talk to her about it, he said.
"It had me sketched out," he said.
Downey said he noticed people watching him when he was in public and that things in the apartment had been "messed with."
He said he believed strangers and Blimkie were also drugging him with a white powder.
He said he believed someone was talking into Blimkie's ear, telling her what to do.
On one occasion, he said he saw her put a white powder in his drink and he grabbed her and hit her in the face.
At other times, people would throw the white powder in his face, he said.
When asked if he had ever notified police or a doctor about his concerns, he said no.
By the time Downey and Blimkie arrived at Metrotown mall for Christmas shopping on the morning of Dec. 19, Downey said he was "sketched out," tired and frightened.
Then, before they entered the mall, he said Blimkie threw white powder into his face.
"I kind of blacked out," he said.
"After we entered the sliding doors, I lost it. I was hearing voices, 'She's going to kill you! She's going to set you up! She's going to kill you!' and I just remember not being able to control myself."
When asked why he ran away after stabbing Blimkie, he said he believed someone was trying to kill him.
After running away, Downey had also changed into clothes he took from a Metrotown apartment building.
When asked why he had done that, Downey said he was trying to change his identity to evade whoever was after him, and he believed his clothes were bugged.
Cross-examination
Crown prosecutor Brendan McCabe began his cross-examination of Downey Tuesday afternoon.
He began by asking Downey if, during his three years in custody he has ever been prescribed any medications to address any psychotic symptoms, hallucinations or delusions.
"No," Downey said.
McCabe also took aim at information Downey did and did not tell two forensic psychiatrists who assessed him this summer.
For example, Downey agreed he had not told the doctors he was dealing drugs during the time he was with Blimkie.
"You understand to a certain extent it's the opinion of those two doctors that will play a large role in how this case is ultimately decided, correct?" McCabe asked.
"Yes," Downey said.
Downey's cross-examination is scheduled to continue Wednesday afternoon.
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