The trial of a man accused of murdering a teenager on a Surrey transit vehicle last year heard from the bus’s driver and passengers on Wednesday.
Kaiden Mintenko has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the April 11, 2023 fatal stabbing. The 17-year-old victim’s identity is protected by a publication ban.
On the stand Wednesday, a passenger told the court a “young man (the victim) came running to the front of the line and he kept looking back like someone chasing him.”
The court has previously heard that Mintenko was with a female at the time of the stabbing, whose identity is also protected by a publication ban.
The witness testified that while she was aboard the bus, she saw the female say something to the victim.
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He got up to move to the front of the bus, she testified, at which point Mintenko nudged the victim in the shoulder.
Under cross-examination, Mintekno’s defence suggested she was mistaken about what she saw.
A second passenger also testified Wednesday, telling the court that at some point during the attack, the female who was with Mintenko got off the bus.
The witness told the court they heard her say, “Good. Good. It happened. Good,” and that she appeared happy.
Police later arrested Mintenko at his home in Burnaby.
An officer involved in searching the home testified he saw multiple knife holes in the accused’s blanket, sheets and bed, including at least 100 on the mattress.
The court heard there were also holes in a section of Mintenko’s wall, as if someone had punched through it.
On Tuesday, the court viewed CCTV video of the attack itself, which captured horrific audio of the victim’s screams and cries for help.
In the video, Mintenko can be seen punching the victim multiple times before stabbing him and fleeing the bus.
The Crown has told the court that Mintenko’s identity as the killer is not in dispute. The case, prosecutors said, will hinge on whether the killing was a case of murder or manslaughter.
The trial before a judge alone is scheduled to run for 15 days.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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