Medicine Hat Jury Finds Man Guilty of Manslaughter

A Medicine Hat jury found Abune Getahun guilty of manslaughter for the 2023 homicide of Tesfahiwot Haile in Brooks following deliberations that ran late into Wednesday evening.

The verdict came following more than six hours of deliberations which began in the afternoon and closing statements by both the Crown and defence at the end of seven days of trial.

In her closing statement seeking jurors to acquit her client on the grounds of self defence, lawyer Kirsten Lancee told jurors Getahun was confronted by Haile at the threshold of his apartment, the man was intoxicated by alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine with the two having a history of animosity.

She reminded jurors of four different interactions between the two men, including Haile being arrested by Mounties after striking Getahun in the back of the head a month prior to the July 23, 2023 homicide.

Despite warnings by police to stay away from Getahun’s residence, Lancee told jurors, “Mr. Haile decided to go back anyway.”

The defence lawyer reminded jurors they heard evidence Haile had a reputation for carrying a knife.

“We’re allowed to defend ourselves, our home,” Lancee told jurors, adding Getahun was forced into the situation in which he defended himself with an aluminum baseball bat, striking Haile once. “He was acting responsibly in self-defence.”

Testimony from the single independent witness at the apartment, Jo-ann Power, that Getahun said he was going to “terminate” or “finish” Haile was contradicted by other evidence, submitted Lancee. The jury heard Power herself testify that she’d heard the terminate comment during the altercation while in Getahun’s apartment before changing that to hearing the comment hours later.

Lancee also noted her client was the one who called 911 to get help for Haile.

In Crown closing statements, prosecutor Katherine Faryna stated though Power’s testimony was not perfect,  it flawed enough to be dismissed.

Faryna reminded jurors Getahun left the apartment following striking Haile with the aluminum bat and threw it over the fence and into the yard of a nearby business prior  to calling 911 and was elusive with the operator about what caused the injury.

Faryna stated, “Mr. Getahun’s actions were unreasonable,” and questioned his testimony that he levelled a single handed swing of a bat at close range that could cause Haile’s skull fracture that a medical examiner testified to requiring an estimated 1,000 pounds of force.

She told jurors Getahun was, “unreliable and dishonest,” in his testimony and acted with, “anger and vengeance in his heart,” when he killed Haile.

Getahun will remain on release pending sentencing with his next court appearance at Medicine Hat Court of King’s Bench tentatively scheduled for July 16.

Manslaughter carries a maximum life sentence but no minimum period of incarceration.