Defence focuses on sight capabilities
By ALEX MCCUAIG Special to the News on March 5, 2021.
A blind neighbour of James Satre gave emotional testimony about finding the homicide victim’s lifeless body by running his hands over what he initially thought was a log during testimony at Medicine Hat Court of Queen’s Bench Thursday in the Robert Hoefman trial. But a withering cross-examination by defence counsel Ian McKay questioned just how blind the witness and neighbour of 63-year-old Satre really was, as the lawyer went over multiple instances in which statements by Joseph Dolan indicated he could see. Hoefman, 59, is facing allegations he planned to kill an individual as part of a million-dollar shakedown scheme of another man, and is facing charges of first-degree murder and extortion in relation to events which took place between Oct. 10 and Nov. 8, 2017. During direct examination by the Crown, Joseph Dolan told the court his 15-pound, two-year-old red heeler uncharacteristically pulled him as he returned from his morning dog walk. When they approached an alleyway near 63-year-old Satre’s Mill Street home on the morning of Oct. 11, 2017, they found Satre. “She kept pulling and pulling and pulling me,” testified Dolan of his dog Cashmere. He added he initially thought the object of the dog’s attention was a log, “until I bent down further,” Dolan said through tears, “it was a human body.” Dolan said he checked for a pulse and felt Satre’s stomach to see if he was breathing but, “there was no signs of life at all,” and also stating he felt a sticky substance on his hand. Under cross-examination by defence lawyer McKay, Dolan was shown a recorded video from an interview he provided to police on Oct. 11, 2017. In the video, Dolan could be seen following with his eyes the different objects the police officer was pointing to in the interview room. McKay also questioned Dolan’s statements that he saw the lights both on and off at Satre’s home, that he could describe the colours, location and types of different vehicles and homes in the neighbourhood. He also questioned how Dolan – after he found the body and went to the dead man’s home – knew there was a full pot of coffee on despite never fully going in the house. “You provide descriptions throughout your statement about other things that one would expect someone who can’t see at all wouldn’t be able to provide,” McKay put to Dolan at one point. “It seems to me that when it comes to the story about your sight, you can’t keep your story straight,” McKay said to Dolan. “You say to us today all you can see is black but you give us descriptions throughout these statements of your ability to see.” Dolan’s cross-examination testimony is expected to continue Friday. The first day of testimony on Wednesday heard how the target of the extortion received a note at his workplace warning that people close to the man would be killed if he didn’t pay $1 million. The target of the extortion can’t be named nor can anything that would reveal his identity be published due to a court-ordered ban. 15-14
