deadmonton 2005 - nina louise courtepatte - the "cindy" trial
april 23rd, 2007

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Nina Louise Courtepatte, 13, died from blunt force trauma on April 3rd, 2005.


Two adults and three teens, not identified by provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.


<< april 10th, 2007 | the "cindy" trial | april 24th, 2007 >>



Closing arguments in the trial of the second teen charged with the murder of Nina Courtepatte took place with Crown prosecutor John Watson presenting his case first.


Law Courts Building

Arguing before Justice June Ross of the Court of Queen's Bench, Watson summarised the Crown's first-degree murder case against the now 19-year-old woman, who was also charged with kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.


Only two spectators were in the gallery to listen to Watson's arguments – one of them Peacha Atkinson, Nina's mother. At times during the Briscoe-Laboucan trial, the courtroom was packed to point of turning spectators away.


Watson said "Cindy" knew of fellow mall rat Joseph Laboucan's plan to kill Nina and pointed to evidence that suggested Laboucan had told her at least the day before the murder.


The lawyer said this gave the young woman ample time and opportunity to get away from Laboucan, warn authorities or tell Nina and Kitty [referred to as Jane Doe on other pages on this site] that they were in trouble, but she did not do so.


Court heard that after the crime, Cindy confessed her foreknowledge of Laboucan's plan to a number of people, including a social worker and her guardian.


Social worker Brenda Haggart related the young woman's tale that the night before the murder she was out driving with her boyfriend Michael Briscoe and Laboucan and they talked about killing someone.


Cindy told Haggart that she and Laboucan went to West Edmonton Mall in the hours before the murder to "find someone" so they could kill that person. She also told her guardian that Laboucan said: "Somebody has got to die today."


"You could have just run," the guardian told the young woman. "Oh, I know," she replied.


“This was not an impulsive killing,” said Watson in his argument. “[The accused] had ample time to consider this plan, the plan being to kill someone."


“Fifteen blows to the head can only have one intent, and that is death.”


The prosecutor said Cindy actively participated by helping Laboucan select his victim, and helped convince Nina of going to the non-existent rave party. It was the talk of the party that got Nina and her friend into Briscoe's car, Watson said.


“The [young woman] continues to aid and abet with full knowledge a murder is going to take place,” Watson said.


CTV Edmonton image

Cindy carried a large concealed wrench to the golf course crime scene and struck the first blow against Nina with that wrench.


The blow was hard enough to knock Nina off balance, the Crown's lawyer said.


“This is a group activity and her presence with full knowledge [of the coming murder] lends support to the members of the group.”


She is guilty “especially because she struck that first blow. That is an integral part of the killing of Nina Courtepatte,” Watson said.


“Hers is the first physical act done to Nina Courtepatte.”


The accused also held Nina's legs down as Laboucan raped her, court was told.


Justice Ross questioned Watson about whether or not Cindy had in fact abandoned the homicide when she left the group after Nina was raped, taking Nina's friend Kitty to the waiting car and leaving behind the others who then proceeded to kill Nina.


Watson suggested for Cindy to have abandoned the murder plan, she would have had to have given timely and unequivocal notice to the others that she was no longer participating in the crime.


All Cindy said was that Kitty was cold and that Kitty didn't have to see what was coming, so they were leaving for the car, Watson responded.


“She doesn't say, 'I'm not coming back.' She doesn't say, 'I'm not a part of this anymore.' She doesn't say, 'I know what you guys are going to do and I don't want to be a part of it.' ”


Nor does it appear Laboucan terrorised her into going along with the killing, said Watson. “There's no evidence of any threat.”


While Watson acknowledged Cindy wasn't present when Nina was actually killed, he stressed that doesn't lessen her complicity.


“You don't have to be present during the whole crime to be guilty of the crime. The getaway-car driver doesn't have to be present during the robbery.”


There's no evidence that the teen's leaving the scene of the crime was caused by any kind of change of heart, Watson suggested.



The trial continued April 24th, 2007