The trial for a man accused of fatally stabbing a teenage girl in a Leduc high school began Monday.
Dylan Thomas Pountney, now 23, is accused of first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Jennifer Winkler.
She was stabbed in front of her classmates and teacher at Christ the King School in March of 2021.
RCMP have said Winkler and Pountney knew each other, and both attended the school.
The courtroom in Wetaskiwin was packed with family and friends as multiple RCMP officers took the stand.
Pountney and Winkler’s teacher also took the stand, recalling the class discussion leading up to the incident.
It was around 10 a.m. when she said she saw Pountney stab Winkler multiple times with a knife. She said she yelled at him to stop. She told court Winkler was stabbed in the upper shoulder. Pountney ran out of the room shortly after that, she said.
Video played in court showed a man the teacher identified as Pountney going into the classroom with a knife and then running away.
Advanced Care Paramedic Emily Montgomery told court that when they first arrived at the classroom, they realized Winkler had lost a lot of blood.
“We tried to wake her up and she would not wake up,” Montgomery said.
Not long after, STARS air ambulance was called.
Winkler’s mother spoke to Global News outside court on Tuesday.
“It took a while to get here,” Louise Molenkemp said. “I don’t expect true justice to actually ever come for her. Not at all. Not with our justice system anyway.”
She said it has not been easy being in the court room.
“I’ve got a lot of anger,” Molenkemp said.
She added that it has been really important to have the court room full of Jenny’s family and friends.
“Jenny had some pretty cool friends. I knew they would be here.”
Molenkemp described her daughter as “a goofball.”
“She was a kind, kind, very kind girl. Very strong, in my mind. A lot stronger than I was at 17, I can tell you that. She was awesome. Very easy — very easy to deal with — unless you asked her to clean her room. But she was a good kid.”
Jenny’s friend Hailey Toles said it was important that she witness the trial, even though it’s extremely hard.
“It’s quite gut wrenching. Seeing him in there, too, it’s difficult. It’s very hard to process that the events that occurred could happen, especially to someone that was important in my life.
“I want justice for her, obviously,” Toles said. “She’s innocent and taken too soon.”
The judge-alone trial is expected to last two weeks.
On Wednesday, it’s expected classmates who witnessed the incident will speak in court.
There is a publication ban on the identity of several other people who are expected to take the witness stand.
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