Closing arguments presented at Wasaga Beach trailer park assault trial
The defence and Crown spent more than two hours trying to convince the judge of their version of events during closing submissions in the trial of Gary Costa, the man accused of a violent assault in a Wasaga Beach trailer park.
Costa, 42, is accused of leaving his neighbour with serious injuries, including a brain bleed, in July 2022.
Costa's lawyer argued for his innocence, citing a lack of physical evidence and questioning the credibility of the alleged victim.
"He has a history of lying. He has a history of violating court orders. He has a history of violence, and in this case, we know that he lied to the police. He changed his stories within about 24 hours of the incident occurring. We know that he is an alcoholic, had a blood alcohol content of 240 the following morning when he was admitted to hospital," defence counsel Allison Cormie-Bowins told the court.
Costa testified during the trial, maintaining that he never laid a hand on his neighbour.
Gary Costa, 42, outside the courthouse in Collingwood, Ont., on Fri., March 15, 2024. (CTV News/Mike Arsalides)
The defence added, "The issue in this case is what happened and who, if anyone, is responsible," and urged the judge to consider Costa's testimony as reliable and truthful.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
In contrast, the Crown painted Costa as motivated by escalating tensions between him and his neighbour, stemming from several incidents, including the firing of a BB gun and the man's friend allegedly exposing himself in front of Costa's children.
The prosecution asserted that Costa, fueled by frustration, launched a vicious attack on his neighbour.
"For no known reason to him, Mr. Costa comes charging into his trailer, attacked him, leaves him grievously injured," the Crown stated.
Picture taken of the Gary Costa's neighbour after he was allegedly assaulted in 2022 in Wasaga Beach, Ont. (Court exhibit)
The court was presented with exhibit photos from inside Costa's neighbour's trailer, where blood could be seen. The Crown alleged that Costa beat the man and left him bloodied.
Image shown to the court from inside the alleged victim's trailer appears to show blood on the walls. (Court exhibit)
Image shown to the court from inside the alleged victim's trailer appears to show blood on the floor next to a broken chair. (Court exhibit)
The court was also shown several surveillance videos with what appeared to be the alleged victim intoxicated, stumbling and falling over.
The defence said the neighbour has brain atrophy from a history of head injuries and potentially the effects of alcoholism.
"Despite everything, he has absolutely no bad blood with Mr. Costa. He either does not remember what happened, or he is lying, and I don't know which one it is. And because I don't know which one it is, neither can Your Honour," the defence argued.
The trial is scheduled to reconvene later this month to set a judgment date.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Conservatives push motion calling for Carney to testify, say it's about 'accountability'
The federal Conservatives made good on their promise to push for former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to testify before MPs, resulting in a heated political debate in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
London Drugs stores remain closed, 'cybersecurity incident' may have breached personal data
London Drugs says it is working with third-party security experts as the company tries to reopen dozens of stores across Western Canada that were shuttered by a cybersecurity incident Sunday.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.