Testifying in her own defense on Monday, a 29-year-old woman blamed her ex-boyfriend for stabbing Abbegail Elliott to death on the balcony of her annex apartment.
“He was like holding her with one hand, she was hitting him, he was hitting her, and there like a big fight, and suddenly I see Abbe start to walk backwards and fall,” Sarai López Iglesias said. A Toronto jury like 29-year-old David Obregon Castro sat nearby in the downtown courtroom. “It happened very quickly.”
The prosecution alleges that the couple conspired to kill Elliott, 21, on May 23, 2018, after he had an affair with Obregón Castro while López Iglesias was in Mexico. The now ex-couple are pointing fingers. They both pleaded not guilty to first degree murder.
On Monday, López Iglesias described to the jury a cycle of mental and physical abuse inflicted on him by Obregón Castro, whom he characterized as a violent, paranoid, jealous and controlling man.
The jury has heard that in the weeks leading up to Elliott’s death, Obregón Castro stabbed a close friend and shot a rival drug lord in the legs. At one point, López Iglesias said he was so concerned about his safety, and that of others, that he anonymously reported him to CrimeStoppers. The jury saw evidence that the complaint was made.
When he testified earlier this month, Obregón Castro denied physically hurting López Iglesias. His lawyers suggested that it was López Iglesias who was “obsessively jealous” of him and his infidelity.
López Iglesias remained composed and showed little emotion Monday under questioning from her attorney, Nathan Gorham.
After returning from a brief vacation in Mexico in mid-May 2018, López Iglesias discovered that Obregón Castro had cheated on her once more, this time with Elliott. López Iglesias told the jury about a confrontation between the two women behind Elliott’s apartment at 70 Spadina Ave., where Elliott bit López Iglesias on the face, while one of her male friends hit her with a pipe.
“I was so mad. I didn’t like him,” Lopez Iglesias said of Elliott.
But while she admitted to sending a later text message to a friend who wanted to kill Elliott, López Igelsias said she was simply “upset” and “venting.”
“He was not serious. I would never think of something like that, ”López Iglesias said.
When Obregón Castro learned of the fight behind the building, he fired two shots toward Elliott’s balcony.
Then, on May 23, López Iglesias said he agreed to follow him to the apartment, claiming he thought it was empty. When they entered the apartment, Obregón Castro had made a key without Elliott’s permission, they discovered Elliott there with two male friends.
Almost immediately, Obregón Castro “fired twice very quickly,” targeting Elliott and one of his friends, López Iglesias testified.
She described watching him put his gun in his pocket and pull out a knife as he followed Elliott and one of her friends out onto the balcony.
“He passes in front of Abbie”, who yells at him to go away, and throws a basket to his head, said López Iglesias demonstrating the action.
Gorham asked his client if he saw Obregón Castro “clearly stab her (Elliott).”
“No,” she replied.
He also denied ever touching Elliott or walking onto the balcony.
“Did you have any idea that David was going to stab Miss Elliott or anyone else?” Gorham asked.
“No, I did not do it.”
López Iglesias was questioned Monday afternoon.
Reference-www.thestar.com