Wayne Millard Murder Trial - Dellen Millard Charged With Murder - #2

[JuneBug67]

This witness is a disaster imo. Admitting to originally lying under oath because years later her recall is better, considering she also testified she was drunk or drugged that night, seriously goes against the credibility of everything she says imo.

I sure do hope there’s an articulate cab driver waiting in the wings to testify that he dropped DM off in the dark hours of the night near Maple Gate Court.

That's one way to think about it. Another way to think about it is that Pillay just spent several hours hammering home over and over that his client was convicted of murder in two previous trials and had multiple illegal handguns, thus effectively embedding this trial in the middle of a murderous crime spree that started with Laura Babcock and ended with Tim Bosma. I think the energy he put into tearing down MM with all the baggage for his own client indicates he's playing from a lousy hand.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

I sure do hope there’s an articulate cab driver waiting in the wings to testify that he dropped DM off in the dark hours of the night near Maple Gate Court.

He will come with an interpreter AFAIK, won't be so articulate, I think.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

I think his behaviour that night was all about establishing an alibi: that he couldn't have been involved in his father's death because he was at Smich's house all that night, and he could prove it if police wanted to check. Smich's mother would say he'd arrived with his dog and never drove away, Marlena would lie to protect him from getting in trouble with CN.

Any police suspicions about the suicide wouldn't be investigated, because he had an alibi.

Maybe, he had also arranged an alibi for MB and she had a bottle wine with JS?

 

[Satchie]

With reference to the “old school gun”, the cowboy/western looking wooden handled one found on the floor beside WMs bed, I might be slow but it suddenly occurred to me the term “old school” is sort of synonymous to old fashioned or antiquated. Is that right? Because at first I was stumped at the connection to schools and guns in this trial. It’s a phrase that I’ve not heard very often in recent years.

Yeah, probably the terms "old fashioned" and "antiquated" are themselves considered old school by kids, not words a hip young person would use. There's a movie Old School, probably reinforced it's use.

 

[JuneBug67]

As long as MM's testimony is corroborative of more objective facts like cell phone pings, taxi records on the night in question etc. I think it's still useful testimony for the crown.

 

[jash]

He will come with an interpreter AFAIK, won't be so articulate, I think.

You raise a good point. The witness may be incredibly articulate in his native language, but if the translator isn't good (and not all of them are), it will not come across that way.

I wonder if the Crown can choose the interpreter (and if he/she would have worked with the witness in preparation for the trial).

 

[MistyWaters]

Adam Carter‏Verified account @AdamCarterCBC 2m2 minutes ago
Cameron says Meneses gave eight statements to police, and testified for multiple days at the Babcock and Bosma trials. "Other than what we've talked about, have you told any lies?" Cameron asks. "No," Meneses responds. She's finished her testimony. #Millard

Adam Carter‏Verified account @AdamCarterCBC 1m1 minute ago
We're now taking 15 minutes for the afternoon break. #Millard

I surely hope I’m wrong about why I’m feeling somewhat aggravated toward MMs testimony is because, if she’s admitting to lying under oath during the two prior trials, is she giving DM an opportunity to appeal? I don’t know the answer but I’m left wondering - who’s side is she on because the defence team ought to doing high fives about now.

 

[Satchie]

He will come with an interpreter AFAIK, won't be so articulate, I think.

But maybe noticed a tattoo on his customer's wrist! (Wishful thinking)

 

[Jealoushe]

Adam Carter‏Verified account @AdamCarterCBC 6m6 minutes ago
We're back in court now. Crown Ken Lockhart is reading in some agreed statements of fact. The first is about cellphones -- basically, this is general info about how cellphones connect with cell towers. #Millard


Adam Carter‏Verified account @AdamCarterCBC 6m6 minutes ago
He's doing this so no representative from a telecom company needs to come in and testify. #Millard

Adam Carter‏Verified account @AdamCarterCBC 5m5 minutes ago
All of this wasn't agreed to in Bosma, so there was hours of evidence to this effect -- and it was both dry, and very technical. This time, the parties are agreeing to it, which speeds things up significantly. #Millard

 

[Jealoushe]

Adam Carter‏Verified account @AdamCarterCBC 4m4 minutes ago
Some call times in records linked to this case, Lockhart says, were logged incorrectly because things went to voicemail. He says the Crown is providing correct records. #Millard

 

[Jealoushe]

With reference to the “old school gun”, the cowboy/western looking wooden handled one found on the floor beside WMs bed, I might be slow but it suddenly occurred to me the term “old school” is sort of synonymous to old fashioned or antiquated. Is that right? Because at first I was stumped at the connection to schools and guns in this trial. It’s a phrase that I’ve not heard very often in recent years.

Yes old school is slang for old, or old fashioned.

 

[Jealoushe]

I surely hope I’m wrong about why I’m feeling somewhat aggravated toward MMs testimony is because, if she’s admitting to lying under oath during the two prior trials, is she giving DM an opportunity to appeal? I don’t know the answer but I’m left wondering - who’s side is she on because the defence team ought to doing high fives about now.

Dont think it works that way?

 

[Satchie]

I surely hope I’m wrong about why I’m feeling somewhat aggravated toward MMs testimony is because, if she’s admitting to lying under oath during the two prior trials, is she giving DM an opportunity to appeal? I don’t know the answer but I’m left wondering - who’s side is she on because the defence team ought to doing high fives about now.

I see it more as a risk that she's inventing the story because she's an unreliable narrator, and has switched allegiance so now wants to put DM away.

ETA: not that I believe it, but the possibility might weaken the value of her testimony from being 100% reliable facts.

 

[MistyWaters]

He will come with an interpreter AFAIK, won't be so articulate, I think.

Oh yes, you’re right, I do recall that. Well then we can still hope he has an excellent memory, “a memory like an elephant”.

 

[JuneBug67]

I surely hope I’m wrong about why I’m feeling somewhat aggravated toward MMs testimony is because, if she’s admitting to lying under oath during the two prior trials, is she giving DM an opportunity to appeal? I don’t know the answer but I’m left wondering - who’s side is she on because the defence team ought to doing high fives about now.

The majority of the lying under oath was in police interviews and statements, and those mistruths and half truths were corrected by the time she actually testified. She lied under oath in the last trial, but admitted it literally in the next breath while still on the stand. I don't think it's as bad as it sounds, but at the same time it's not going to have much value as truth without corroborating evidence at this point.

Part of it is her fault, but a lot of it is not. It was six months after the fact before she was asked about anything, and eight statements and two trials later it is not that surprising that some things will be garbled. Memories are altered a little every time we take them out and put them back. Mixing up breakfast for lunch. Or what you did the next day relative to some other day when you were also with Millard. Or whether the dog was there or not. To me the core of this is that DM left under atypical circumstances, leaving behind a phone and a credit card, and didn't reappear until after she was asleep. If that lines up with DM movements proven some other way, through taxi records, credit card records, cell phone stuff - on the night that Wayne died - I think her testimony still has value.

 

[Jealoushe]

Adam Carter‏Verified account @AdamCarterCBC 8m8 minutes ago
We're now finishing for the day. Thanks for following along. #Millard

 

[jash]

I hope we learn details of the phone records (versus the judge just reading them outside of the courtroom). I presume a credit card statement will be submitted next.

 

[paris_paris]

MM lied in her statements to police at the time to protect herself, MS and DM. She even lied about what DM was wearing that night. If you remember, she wasn't questioned until after TB's murder.
She told some lies at both previous trials, but quickly corrected the info. She did lie about cocaine use, because they ruled that nobody was allowed to mention cocaine. MWJ also lied at the LB trial because it was something they ruled could not be spoken about... something to do with DM contacting him for a gun. They brought MWJ back the next day and rephrased the question so he could answer it truthfully.

 

[andreww]

You raise a good point. The witness may be incredibly articulate in his native language, but if the translator isn't good (and not all of them are), it will not come across that way.

I wonder if the Crown can choose the interpreter (and if he/she would have worked with the witness in preparation for the trial).

Not sure what a cabbie would remember. Just another fare years ago. He may have kept a log and thus could testify to where he picked up a fare at a given time and where he dropped him off, but I wouldn't expect anything more than that.

 

[andreww]

Are they in court tomorrow?