By Sheldon Spackman

quentin strawberry trial

Stabbing victim died from massive wound to torso, court hears

Mar 11, 2021 | 8:04 PM

Four people took the stand Thursday at the trial of an O’Chiese First Nation man charged in a fatal Red Deer stabbing two years ago.

Dr. Eric Bol from the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Calgary performed the autopsy of Joseph Gallant, 45, following his death on March 29, 2019.

Quentin Strawberry, 39, is charged with second-degree murder in Gallant’s death as well as assault causing bodily harm in relation to an alleged attack that night on Gallant’s common-law partner, Amanda Carter, who took the stand prior to Bol.

Carter, herself badly injured in the attack that night, told court Gallant identified Strawberry as the man who stabbed him.

Bol’s testimony took place during a voir dire – a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of evidence.

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He told court Gallant died from significant blood loss due to a stab wound to his upper left chest.

“The wound was suggestive of a single-edged weapon,” said Bol, who noted Gallant’s chest wound was 32 centimeters deep, nearly penetrating his entire torso. Gallant also had blunt force injuries to his head, arms and legs, Bol said.

Louis Zimmerman, Gallant’s neighbour from two doors down, told court he was awoken by his dogs barking in his kitchen the night of the incident.

“When I quieted them down, I heard somebody yell, ‘Call 911!’ (They) sounded female,” said Zimmerman. “My girlfriend was walking around trying to see out the window, then went outside the back door, then came back in and grabbed a jacket and towel. I was a little scared for her, so I grabbed my jacket and followed her.

“My wife was sitting with the man on the back stairs holding a towel to his chest. She told me there was a wound there,” recalled Zimmerman. “There was blood on his person and I think a little bit on the steps. It was a lot of blood. His shirt was covered pretty well.”

Zimmerman then took over for his wife and held the towel to the man’s chest for her.

“I kept telling him to be calm and stay awake, and he kept saying he couldn’t breathe. I was just trying to keep him alert.”

Red Deer RCMP Cst. Charlotte Rockwell told court she spent several hours with Carter following the incident.

“I recall blood being on her face, possibly her chin area and seeing blood on her clothing and on her pants,” testified Rockwell, “and I remember her not being appropriately dressed.”

According to Rockwell’s notes from that evening, Carter did not tell her who had stabbed Gallant.

The voir dire continues Friday with the Crown expected to call a toxicologist to the stand, along with an RCMP blood pattern specialist.

Defense lawyer Maurice Collard is anticipated to call 39-year-old Jennifer Caswell to the stand. Caswell pled guilty last September to assault causing bodily harm for her role in the incident and was sentenced to eight months in prison, satisfied by time already served.