Six years ago, Robert Young told the responding paramedic that his friend, then 42 and lying under a blanket in Young’s Buffalo Narrows shack, was sick following an altercation.
The paramedic replied, “Your friend is not sick, he’s dead.”
On Friday afternoon and sitting behind the plexiglass of the Court of King’s Bench prisoners’ box in Battleford, Young listened as Justice John Morrall read out the verdict: guilty as charged of second-degree murder for the 2018 death of Jason Chartier.
“In his testimony Mr. Young states that Mr. Chartier came over and attacked him with a metal bar, he defended himself with a wrench in order to immobilize Mr. Chartier and was acting purely in self-defence,” said Justice Morrall, reading from his decision.
The trial, which wrapped up earlier this fall, featured testimony from witnesses and the court heard from experts that the man died of blunt force trauma after being hit multiple times with a wrench.
The events that led up to the 42-year-old man’s death began the evening of Dec. 19 when both men attended the same party, where Chartier ended it up in a scuffle with a friend of Young’s. Later Chartier came to the elder man’s shack and according to Young, it was then that he attacked him.
According to the decision, Young, who had drank and consumed Marijuana at the party, said he only struck him a couple of times and Chartier fell to the couch and the older man, then 65, put a blanket on him and believed him to be passed out.
“There was no blood or other injuries visible on Mr. Chartier and Mr. Young knew he was alive as the result of checking his pulse,” read Morrall.
Young then remained in his shack until a neighbour came over the following day, noticed the man’s condition on the couch and called police. The crown submitted that Young’s version of events does not match the evidence presented at trial and although it is unclear about what truly transpired between the two men, the Crown asserts that Young’s testimony is not credible. The justice read that there wasn’t any reliable evidence that a particular officer participated in the initial arrest or search of the home.
“There was clear and contradicted evidence that other officers searched Mr. Young’s residence and arrested him,” he said.
“They also note that no metal bar was ever found at or near the scene.”
It was also noted that photos of Young show no injuries while autopsy photos show “a vicious beating” with multiple skull and leg fractures.
Morrall then spoke to the factors that made Young’s testimony unreliable. The first being that in his sworn statement in January 2021, he made no mention of being at the party but on stand six years after the incident, had spoken about being there.
In the sworn statement, Young said Chartier waited mere minutes before coming into the shack although during the trial, that length was extended by thirty minutes. The third factor went to the question of common sense. If Chartier had been aggressive at the party, why did Young allow him inside “knowing his prior alleged unstable behaviour.”
“Four: Mr. Young gave vastly different versions of the assault as between his sworn statement and his testimony,” the justice read.
Later on, Morrall read that the crown made arguments that the court draw inferences against the elder man now in his 70’s owing to the fact he did not report the incident to the police or call for an ambulance.
“I will not,” he said, citing a 2024 decision in a separate case.
“It would be an error to use Mr. Young’s right to silence as evidence of guilt.”
When speaking to the deceased man’s injuries, Morrall said after looking at the evidence, he’s left in no doubt that Young was responsible for inflicting all of them.
Following the verdict, Defense Council Laura Mischuk said they can’t say much at this point but that it was “not the way he would have liked, obviously.”
Crown Prosecutor Anthony Gerein said now that the decision has been announced, they will see where the case goes from there. At this time, neither are prepared to make requests regarding sentences. Young has been remanded into custody.
Sentencing is expected to take place Apr. 14.
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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com
On BlueSky: juleslovett.bsky.social
