Witness testifies Selena Lomen was angry at partner during night of killing

Four more witnesses provided testimony Wednesday in the trial of Selena Lomen, who is accused of second-degree murder in the Oct. 28, 2018, death of her common-law partner, Danny Klondike.

Two of the witnesses discussed how angry Lomen was with Klondike at the Halloween party they attended in Fort Liard, N.W.T., during the evening leading up to his death.

At the beginning of the trial earlier this month, Lomen, 23, admitted to stabbing Klondike, 34. She tried to plead guilty to manslaughter, but the prosecutor refused to accept the plea.

The trial is being held in N.W.T. Supreme Court in Yellowknife.

The testimony of most witnesses so far has focused on what happened leading up to and immediately after Klondike's death, but has skirted the central issue in the trial: whether Lomen intended to kill Klondike when she stabbed him.

Crystal Deneyoua said she was with Lomen at that Halloween party, and Lomen was angry at Klondike.

"Selena started getting mad at him because he wouldn't give her a drink and he was giving everyone else drinks," Deneyoua said.

She said Lomen eventually lashed out at Klondike verbally, swearing at him in front of others.

"Danny told her to be nice," Deneyoua added.

Klondike was having a good time

Like other witnesses who testified, Deneyoua said Klondike was having a great time, dancing, playing pool, socializing and getting very intoxicated. Lomen was sitting in a corner looking on.

At some point, Lomen discarded the nurse costume she had arrived in. Deneyoua said she and Lomen then went for a walk around town and that Lomen had a mickey of vodka with her.

Deneyoua said that as they were walking by Lomen's house, Lomen said she had three 1.18-litre bottles of vodka and suggested they get one. Deneyoua said they decided to walk back to the party instead.

Another witness, Grace Berreault, was outside having a cigarette when Deneyoua and Lomen got back to the party.

"She walked up to the party looking angry," said Berreault, referring to Lomen.

Berreault said Klondike was part of a group of people she left the party with about 40 minutes later.

"He kept saying he just wanted to go home to his son and go to sleep," she said.

Host told Lomen to leave party

Deneyoua said that after they returned, she counted Lomen consuming five large cups from a tub of home brew that had been brought to the party. She said Lomen was also drinking shots of vodka.

Deneyoua said one of the hosts of the party eventually told Lomen she had to leave because she was not in costume. She said someone else at the party told Lomen she could borrow a costume if she wanted to stay. Deneyoua said she went after Lomen and told her, but Lomen just threw up her arms and kept walking away.

Connie Bertrand said she was out for a walk between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. when she crossed paths with Lomen on Valley Main Street in front of the health centre. Bertrand said Lomen had a 1.18-litre bottle of vodka that was about half full, and she was staggering and slurring her speech. They spoke for a while about who was at the party.

"We went to my house and sat on the balcony and had a few shots," said Bertrand. "I told her I was tired. Then she told me to walk with her to her house, but I said I was too tired."

Bertrand said she walked Lomen to the door and locked it after she left.

Lomen seen 'crying a lot'

Denelee Bertrand, the guard who was working at the Fort Liard RCMP detachment that morning, also testified.

Earlier, the court heard that Lomen walked in on her own and said, "I killed him. I need to come inside."

Bertrand said Lomen "was crying a lot. She was laying down for a while, crying, covering her face."

"She asked if he was dead and [Cst. Terry] Boutcher said, 'Yes,'" Bertrand added.