Richard Valiquette's criminal negligence trial in death of Gavin Adams continues

A friend who was with Gavin Adams on the night he disappearedsays he didn't realize the Saint John teenwas missing until the following morning because they were both high and got separated.

Adrian Goguen, 19, testified Tuesday at the trial of Richard Gerald JamesValiquette, who is charged with criminal negligence causing death in connection with the drug-related death of Gavin, 17,nearly three years ago.

Goguentold the Court of Queen's Benchhe and Adams would takehallucinogenic drugs,obtained from Valiquette, together.

4 tabs of 25i

On Dec. 14, 2013, they went toValiquette'shome to purchase four tabs each of the drug called 25i, he said.

It hit him harder than ever before, he said. He recalled havinga difficult time speaking and they both struggled to put on their shoes and get down the stairs, he said.

They werewalking together in the city's north end,near thePetro-Canadastation,when Gavin went up the hill toward achurch and Goguen wentdown.

Const. Jeff Hamilton, of the Saint John Police Force, testified he came acrossGoguen, whoput his face up to his patrol vehicle "like a bug on a windshield."

Goguen, who was "twitchy," told the officer he had taken a hit of acid and wanted to go home. Hamiltontransported him to the emergency department instead.

Emergency roomDr. Michael Howletttestified Goguenwas suffering from a moderately severe drug overdose when he saw himat 10:13 p.m.

Goguenhad "adrenaline overdrive" associated with an LSD-like substance, Howlett said. His heart rate was abnormal, hewas disoriented,agitated and confused.

His condition was "not life-threatening," said Howlett, but the hospitalwould not have discharged him on his own. Goguen was treatedwith Ativan and his parents took him home.

Goguentold the court hewoke up the next morningto text messages from Gavin's girlfriend about the Saint John High School student being missing.

Found buried in snow

On Dec. 16, a search and rescue crew foundGavin's body half buried in snow in a parking lot near the bus terminal on Chesley Drive.

Gavin's mother, father and younger sister left the courtroomwhen disturbingphotos of his bodywere displayed.

Const. Matthew Weir, of the Saint John Police Force's forensic identification unit, testified Gavin's frozen body was transported in a black disaster bag to the morgue atthe Saint John Regional Hospital and locked in a small cooler. Weir kept the key.

Items seized from Gavin's jacket, he said, included a small clear plastic vial and pipe, which bothtested positive forN,N-Dimethyltryptamine(DMT), ahallucinogenic drug.

Valiquette, 28,isaccused of giving Gavina substance not intended for human consumption and in reckless disregard for his safety.

Goguentestified Gavin and Valiquette were making drugs together. That's how Gavin got a discount, he said.

It was Gavin who introduced him to psychedelic drugs, he added.

Manslaughter charge withdrawn

Valiquette was initiallycharged with manslaughteron Nov. 25, 2014, but that charge was withdrawn by consent in July 2015.

His trial began on Oct. 3, when he pleaded not guilty to criminal negligence causing death.

He pleaded guilty that same dayto producing N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ahallucinogenic drug.

Two other charges against him drug trafficking and possession of a drug for the purposes of traffickingwere dropped.

The trial resumes on Wednesday morning at the Saint John Law Courts building. Two weeks have been set aside. Justice FrederickFerguson is presiding.