‘I’ve been planning to kill you’: Toronto man on trial for murdering ex-wife, daughter

A Good Samaritan who pulled implicit connected the broadside of Bathurst Street connected the day of Aug. 26, 2022, and watched a antheral stabbing 2 women said helium decided to determination towards the 2nd younger unfortunate erstwhile helium realized helium could help.

“I made a calculation successful my caput — if they’re dead, there’s thing I tin bash but if there’s inactive life, I tin travel successful and possibly I could help,” Royi Flescher testifed.

At the opening time of the proceedings for Godfrey Sig-Od, a Toronto antheral charged with 2 counts of first-degree execution successful narration to his ex-wife and daughter, Flescher was conscionable 1 of galore witnesses who recalled the chaotic country that played retired successful beforehand of his eyes.

Flescher testified helium was driving location from work, northbound connected Bathurst Street adjacent Elleslie Avenue, astir 3:30 p.m. erstwhile helium noticed an altercation successful the southbound curb lane.

“It looked similar 2 radical wrestling oregon warring with each different but it was conscionable for a 2nd and I didn’t get a precise bully picture,” Flescher said.

He said helium pulled his car implicit into the right-hand lane and looked into his sideview reflector to get a amended look astatine what was really happening.

Flescher said helium could spot a knife, idiosyncratic stabbing idiosyncratic else, and bits of blood. Realizing determination was thing superior going on, helium decided to locomotion towards the scene.

“There was 3 radical progressive successful what was going on. The antheral was stabbing the archetypal woman, the older woman. Initially, she was lasting up past lying down connected the crushed and helium was stabbing her to death. He past moved to the 2nd victim, the younger lady. He was stabbing her again. Her garment was up, you could spot her bra and helium was conscionable stabbing and stabbing and stabbing,” Flescher recalled.

Assistant Crown lawyer Rochelle Liberman asked however Flescher knew the younger pistillate had been stabbed earlier to which Flescher responded, “She had already been injured, she was lying connected the ground.”

On Tuesday astatine the outset of the assemblage trial, Godfrey Sig-Od pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter but the Crown rejected that plea and is proceeding with the first-degree execution charges.

In her opening address, Liberman told the assemblage that Godfrey Sig-Od stabbed his ex-wife and girl to decease and volition reason the murders were planned and deliberate.

“‘I’ve been readying to termination you, it is my program to termination you.’ This is what the accused Godfrey Sig-Od told his ex-wife Elvie successful 2020. He told her helium would instrumentality retired her 2 eyes and helium told her to bask driving her car. Sadly, successful August 2022, Godfrey Sig-Od carried retired his program and killed Elvie and helium killed her close extracurricular of her car.

“Elvie was not the lone victim. He killed their girl Angelica, too. Angelica had spoken to constabulary 2 years earlier she was killed asking to get a restraining bid against her father,” Liberaman said.

Flescher said aft watching the antheral spell betwixt stabbing the archetypal and 2nd victim, the attacker past sat connected the guardrail astatine the broadside of the road. Flescher recalled that the country was chaotic, testifying determination was screaming from bystanders and helium was focused connected the attacker, whom helium and different antheral told not to move.

“I benignant of made a determination successful my caput that I was not going to attack him due to the fact that astatine that point, determination was small intent to attack him, hold for constabulary to arrive. In essence, myself and the different man were boxing him successful to marque definite helium didn’t escape.”

Flescher said the 2nd victim, the younger woman, started moving her manus and thought possibly helium could help. “When I started walking towards her, the antheral picked up the knife. He had enactment the weapon down and started coming towards me. He did not accidental anything,” said Flescher.

“As overmuch arsenic I wanted to help, I kept the region of 2 lanes betwixt us. As helium took a measurement forwards, I took a measurement backwards.” When Liberman asked however helium felt arsenic Sig-Od was coming towards him, helium replied “I felt afraid. I felt similar my beingness was successful danger. Like helium was going to termination me.”

Flescher took his glasses disconnected his look and enactment his hands implicit his eyes, earlier taking a heavy breath.

Flescher testified the attacker past returned to the guardrail wherever helium sat with a reddish small bag. “I was acrophobic possibly determination was a weapon successful there. I was watching his hands. I was watching the container and that went connected for, it felt similar a agelong time, it was lone a infinitesimal oregon two.”

He past heard sirens coming and saw six oregon 7 constabulary cruisers racing down the hill. After helium directed postulation to determination retired of the mode truthful they could scope the scene, helium testified the antheral stood up, walked towards the police, enactment his hands unneurotic truthful they could handcuff him, and was arrested. “There was nary absorption whatsoever. They asked him to prevarication down connected the ground, they handcuffed him and that was it.”

Flescher described the knife’s leaf arsenic astir 10 inches and said it was not a accustomed butchering knife. “It seemed much similar a hunting knife. It doesn’t person overmuch usage successful a mean kitchen.”

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Daniel Brodsky asked Flescher if helium recalled testifying during the preliminary enquiry that the antheral appeared to beryllium successful a “blind rage.”

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After having his representation refreshed, Flescher explained what helium meant.

“I didn’t perceive him saying thing was the champion mode to picture it. He was not focused connected anybody other but for repeatedly stabbing the victims. He was precise focused connected the act. The attacker seemed precise angry, seemed precise upset, seemed precise vengeful, I guess. Very ace focused connected carrying retired these stabbings and inflicting the astir trauma possible.”

Flescher said by the clip constabulary arrived, the antheral had calmed down.

Witness Jose De Gouveia testified arsenic helium was driving northbound connected Bathurst Street, helium noticed a metallic Lexus up successful the southbound curb lane with 3 wheels up connected the sidewalk. De Gouveia said helium saw the driver’s and beforehand rider broadside doors open, astatine archetypal reasoning it was a aesculapian incident.

He pulled into the Sherman Campus of the JCC and got retired of his car to spot the antheral making downward actions with his hands. “As I was looking done my rearview mirror, I saw the pistillate being dragged retired of the car, her achromatic garment implicit her head. I saw punches,” De Gouveia testified, saying that helium thought it was a fight.

De Gouveia said helium tried calling 911 3 times earlier getting done connected the 4th try. “As I got connected to 911, determination was different downward question and I saw her driblet to the ground.”

He besides said helium saw different unfortunate travel retired of the backmost spot connected the driver’s broadside of the car who was besides struck by the antheral successful the thorax earlier she dropped to the ground. De Gouveia testified helium thought the women were being stabbed though helium ne'er saw a knife.

De Gouveia said aft the attack, helium besides saw an aged pistillate propulsion up successful a achromatic minivan and person a speech with the suspect. “She screamed ‘I don’t judge you killed 2 radical due to the fact that she was cheating connected you,'” helium testified.

“At that time, I couldn’t adjacent stand. My knees were shaking. I was blocking postulation truthful I proceeded to my car and I was amazed I got determination due to the fact that my knees, my nerves. I ne'er witnessed thing similar that.

Liberman told jurors that constabulary officers are expected to attest that the leaf of the weapon was recovered successful Godfrey Sig-Od’s belongings and the grip of the weapon which was recovered successful the backseat of Elvie’s car. They volition besides attest astir the humor and strands of acheronian hairsbreadth they recovered connected the blade.

A forensic pathologist who performed the autopsies is expected to attest that some Elvie and Angelica died from stab wounds. Elvie had 14 stabs oregon cuts, including 8 wounds to her torso and 5 to her look and forehead. Angelica was stabbed 19 times. She suffered six wounds to her torso, six to her precocious limbs and 7 to her caput and neck.

The assemblage was told they volition besides perceive from constabulary officers from York Regional Police who met with Elvie and Angelica successful 2020, 2 years earlier they were killed.

“Elvie and Angelica called constabulary successful October 2020 due to the fact that they were acrophobic of Godfrey Sig-Od. They were funny successful getting a restraining bid against him,” said Liberman.

In November 2020, Liberman said a constabulary serviceman is expected to attest that Elvie told him that Godfrey threatened to termination her. The video connection she provided to the serviceman is expected to beryllium played successful court.