Lower than two years earlier than Elvie Sig-Od and her daughter Angelica had been stabbed to demise, Elvie gave a video assertion to police telling an officer that her husband, Godfrey Sig-Od, had threatened to kill her and take out her eyes.
Sig-Od is on trial in Toronto, going through two counts of first-degree homicide referring to his ex-wife and daughter. He pleaded responsible to manslaughter however the Crown rejected that plea to proceed with a first-degree homicide trial.
On Tuesday, jurors within the trial had been proven a chilling video assertion in a downtown Toronto courtroom, providing them a view of Elvie’s fears about her husband as a result of he knew the place she lived and labored.
“I’m strolling away to return to my automotive and he says, ‘Wait, cease’ after which he began to inform me, ‘I’ve been planning to kill you even earlier than I got here right here. It’s my plan to kill you,’” Elvie instructed a York Regional Police detective within the video interview.
“He mentioned, ‘I’ll take out your two eyes.’”
The videotaped interview was recorded on the night of Nov. 20, 2020, in Markham, Ont.
Within the assertion, Elvie instructed the detective she had pushed to “Canadian Linen” on Norfinch Drive the place Godfrey labored as a labourer round 5:40 a.m. on the morning of Nov. 20, 2020, after arranging to select up divorce papers which Godfrey promised to signal after being served with them a month earlier.
When Elvie arrived, she mentioned Godfrey met her outdoors and instructed her he had forgotten the divorce papers. It was then, she alleged, he made the threats.
“I began to shake. Then he got here to my face I instructed him, ‘You will need to hold your distance.’ I needed to push him,” Elvie mentioned within the video interview.
She instructed the officer that the couple was married in 2001 within the Philippines however then she went overseas in 2004 and the couple was separated.
Get breaking Nationwide information
For information impacting Canada and all over the world, join breaking information alerts delivered on to you once they occur.
“Since then, he acquired concerned with one other girl after which that they had a baby collectively so from that point on, our relationship is, he was elevating the daughter with the mother-in-law within the Philippines,” she instructed Garford.
Elvie defined she got here to Canada in 2006 by herself whereas Godfrey was having different relationships again dwelling. She utilized for a piece visa earlier than getting her everlasting residency a number of years later and sponsored the couple’s daughter, Angelica, who moved to Canada in 2011.
She mentioned after her daughter arrived, she didn’t have any communication with Godfrey till 2019 when his mom requested her if she might sponsor him and produce him to Canada.
“He additionally requested me to work on our relationship, if it’s doable for us to work it out… Us Filipinos are family-oriented,” she mentioned. “So, I sponsored him after which he got here in January of 2020.”
Elvie defined that after his arrival, she instructed Godfrey that he needed to show to her that he had modified. “I additionally gave him one other likelihood as a result of he saved saying that I need to have my household again.”
She instructed the officer that since coming, Godfrey had been disrespectful to her and their daughter. “He continually insults me and he’s very merciless, he’s very verbally abusive,” Elvie mentioned.
Within the interview, she mentioned each she and her daughter had been on antidepressants to take care of the stress.
Elvie was requested if she thought Godfrey was severe in regards to the threats. “Sure,” she replied.
She additionally instructed the officer she was involved as a result of Godfrey knew the place she lived and labored. She additionally talked about the demise menace he had made in the direction of Angelica the month earlier than.
Elvie mentioned Godfrey was nonetheless residing with them at the moment and testified he acquired upset as a result of his daughter put a be aware on the fridge saying, “Sharing is caring.” Elvie defined that the be aware referred to the truth that Godfrey would eat all of the meals within the fridge.
Elvie instructed the officer she heard Godfrey make the menace. He mentioned, “Be grateful your grandmother is there as a result of if not, you’re useless, lengthy, very long time in the past”. Elvie defined, “as a result of her grandma is the one taking good care of her (Angelica) within the Philippines.”
The detective who performed the video interview testified an arrest warrant for uttering threats was put out for Godfrey Sig-Od however mentioned he was by no means arrested. They mentioned Elvie mentioned that Godfrey didn’t have a cellphone and might be reached via Fb.
The detective mentioned she known as Godfrey’s office on Dec. 16 and requested for video surveillance from outdoors the enterprise however was instructed there was none. They testified they later learn in regards to the stabbing of Elvie and Angelica Sig-Od whereas on trip in August 2022.
“Upon my return, I made contact with an investigator from Toronto police who emailed me,” the detective mentioned.
Throughout cross-examination, defence lawyer Daniel Brodsky requested the detective — York Regional Police Det. Jennifer Garford — why she waited a month to retrieve surveillance video from Godfrey’s office. “I don’t know,” they responded.
Garford mentioned on Dec. 16, 2020, she acquired data that Elvie had heard from Godfrey through Fb Messenger. “I had a cellphone name. She suggested that her husband had been in touch and despatched a video saying ‘Merry Christmas’ via Messenger.”
Brodsky requested if Elvie knew an arrest warrant had been issued for Godfrey’s arrest.
“I consider I instructed her,” Garford responded.
The detective additionally defined she tried to search out out if she might contact somebody via Messenger. Brodsky then requested if she tried to contact somebody known as JR who might put her in contact with Godfrey in April 2021. Garford mentioned she did however by no means heard again.
“Are you aware if Godfrey knew if there was a warrant out for his arrest?” Brodsky continued. Garford mentioned she didn’t.
Twenty-one months later, on Aug. 26, 2022, Elvie and Angelica Sig-Od had been stabbed to demise on Bathurst Avenue close to Ellerslie Avenue. Godfrey Sig-Od was arrested on the scene and charged with their murders.
Assistant Crown attorneys Rochelle Liberman and Victoria Di Iorio have instructed jurors they’ll show that Godfrey meant to kill his 20-year-old daughter and 44-year-old spouse. They are saying it was deliberate and deliberate.
Two officers from York Regional Police additionally testified about assembly with Angelica and Elvie Sig-Od on the night of Oct. 7, 2020, after they alleged that Godfrey threatened to kill Angelica.
The officers testified that the mom and daughter needed to get a restraining order in opposition to Godfrey. One she suggested Elvie that “it’s not the police’s position to file a restraining order, it’s really the court docket’s.” She mentioned she directed her to the Newmarket courthouse however was unaware if one had even been obtained.
The trial continues.
Source link