Prosecutors in the murder trial of Lisa Batstone say that whether the South Surrey mother had intent to kill her daughter on Dec. 10, 2014 is the issue for the court to decide 害羞草研究所� and evidence will prove that was the case.
害羞草研究所淢s. Batstone made a decision to kill her daughter,害羞草研究所� Crown co-counsel Fatemeh Nejatali told the court during opening statements Tuesday morning in BC Supreme Court in New Westminster. 害羞草研究所淟isa Batstone killed Teagan during the early hours of Dec. 10 by suffocating her with a plastic bag.害羞草研究所�
Batstone is charged with second-degree murder in connection with her eight-year-old daughter害羞草研究所檚 death.
Nejatali told the court that 21 witnesses will be called in the case, including RCMP, a toxicologist and Teagan害羞草研究所檚 father, Gabe.
Evidence shared is to include details of a gap in electronic activity including emails and texts by Batstone in the early hours of Dec. 10, 2014 害羞草研究所� a gap Crown asserts is the time during which Teagan was killed.
The court is to also hear about four letters police found during a search of Batstone害羞草研究所檚 home later that day. One, Nejatali told the court, included the line 害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 believe I took my daughter害羞草研究所檚 life.害羞草研究所� Another, found on top of a garbage can under the kitchen sink, states, 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 so sorry.害羞草研究所�
The letters offer 害羞草研究所渁 window into (Batstone害羞草研究所檚) state of mind,害羞草研究所� Nejatali said.
The trial start followed several days of voir-dire evidence that was heard last month to determine if statements made by the accused to witnesses after eight-year-old Teagan害羞草研究所檚 body was found would be admissible in trial 害羞草研究所� which Justice Catherine Murray ultimately ruled would be the case.
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During the voir dire, the court heard from witnesses including Const. Elizabeth Cucheran, the officer who arrested Batstone after she was found curled up with her daughter害羞草研究所檚 body in the trunk of a car in a cul-de-sac just south of Crescent Road shortly after noon on Dec. 10, 2014.
Teagan had been a student at Rosemary Heights Elementary.
Cucheran told the court that Batstone, after being told at the Crescent Road scene that she was 害羞草研究所渦nder arrest for impaired driving,害羞草研究所� told the officer, 害羞草研究所淚 murdered her.害羞草研究所�
Medical professionals who interacted with Batstone at Peace Arch Hospital following her arrest were also among witnesses who gave evidence during the voir dire.
Dr. Douglas Maskall, a PAH psychiatrist, recounted what he had been told of how Teagan died; and how Batstone had said she 害羞草研究所渏ust wanted (Teagan) to be with Jesus.害羞草研究所�
Maskall also told the court that Batstone had said she killed her daughter to 害羞草研究所減rotect害羞草研究所� the youngster from her father 害羞草研究所� who the court heard Batstone had an 害羞草研究所渁crimonious害羞草研究所� relationship with 害羞草研究所� and because she didn害羞草研究所檛 want Teagan to 害羞草研究所渉ave her (mother害羞草研究所檚) brain.害羞草研究所�
Batstone had struggled with mental health since her teens, Maskall said. She told him at PAH following Teagan害羞草研究所檚 death that she had asked for psychiatric help months before. Batstone had been scheduled to see a psychiatrist in January 2015, Maskall noted.
Social worker Jennifer Culbert shared with the court Batstone害羞草研究所檚 description to her of how she had suffocated her daughter then tried to kill herself.
Batstone also said that she killed Teagan 害羞草研究所渢o spite害羞草研究所� her ex-husband, Culbert said.
Tuesday, Nejatali told the court that Teagan害羞草研究所檚 relationship with her father was not what Lisa Batstone had portrayed. (Family members last month told Peace Arch News that the father and daughter had a loving relationship.)
The father, after flying out from Ottawa to spend time with his daughter that week, had dropped her off at school on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
害羞草研究所淪he was killed in the early morning hours of Wednesday,害羞草研究所� Nejatali said, noting the court would hear that Batstone called her daughter害羞草研究所檚 school that same morning to say she was sick, and cancelled an appointment the pair had at a local physiotherapy clinic, again citing illness.
Testimony from Sgt. Heather Burwell, who attended Batstone害羞草研究所檚 home Dec. 12, 2014 to assist in a search warrant, photographing and documenting the scene, was to continue Tuesday afternoon.
Batstone was ordered in January 2015 to stand trial on a charge of second-degree murder, after a court-ordered 害羞草研究所渇itness assessment害羞草研究所� deemed her fit for the proceedings. However, there were multiple delays over the years that followed.
The trial is scheduled until Dec. 7.
