The jury trial for a teenager charged with manslaughter in the stabbing death of his uncle on the city’s east side last year is underway at the Saint John Law Courts with the victim’s mother and accused’s grandmother testifying in the witness box.
31-year-old Scott Bennett died after the incident on the Norris Road on February 4, 2015. His nephew, Justin Bennett, was 18-years-old when he was charged the next day.
Wendy Bennett detailing the day the stabbing happened. She says that day she drove her son to town to go and get his methadone—in 2015 he was on a methadone maintenance program. She testified that Scott became addicted to drugs when he was 16-years-old and that his drug of choice was crack cocaine. That day she says she asked Justin to go and retrieve her modem, which she says she shared with her son and who had come to get it that day.
That night she says Justin was playing video games with some people at her house on Norris Road. Benett also testifying about a call in the evening from Justin Bennett who was crying. She says he told her, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry Nanny.” She was at her daughter’s house at the time.
Bennett testifying that early on in their lives her son Scott and grandson Justin were almost inseparable but that after her husband died they became very distant, not speaking to each other and says the relationship became very strained. Asked if she was present when there were verbal arguments between the two she responded not very many as they didn’t speak to each other.
