Thomas Barrett murder trial hears from ex-girlfriend, neighbour

A former girlfriend of Thomas TedBarrett and the mother of two of his children testified Wednesday he never told her he had killed Brett MacKinnon, but made motions implying he broke her neck.

Barrett, 40, is on trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court for second-degree murder in the death of MacKinnon, 21. Shedisappeared in 2006and herremains were found two years later in GlaceBay.

A Sydney courtroom heard Wednesday from Ashley MacDonald, Barrett's former girlfriend. She was15 or 16 years old when she first began dating Barrett, then 28, and testified theylived together off and on for a few years.

She said she had met Brett MacKinnon a couple of times, and when the womanwas reported missing, MacDonaldbegan "picking at" Barrett to see if he knew anything about her disappearance.

She testified Barrett never said he murdered MacKinnon, but made motions with his hands, and sounds that implied he had broken her neck.

In cross-examination, the defence questioned MacDonald about her extensive criminal history and her long-time drug addiction. MacDonald said she has been clean since she came to Cape Breton from British Columbia for the trial.

Dead witness

On Tuesday, the Crown and defence also argued over whether a videotaped statement from a deceased woman should be included in the evidence.Sheryl Flynn talked to police in 2012. She died the next year from a drug overdose.

Her former boyfriend took the stand on Tuesday. The lawyers questioned him about whether things Flynn said in the statement were likely tobe true. The woman had saidBarrett told her at a local coffee shopin 2009 thathe strangled MacKinnon.

ShawnGlazer and Flynn lived together from 2008 to 2011. He told the court he has a lengthy criminal record including offences for drug trafficking, fraud, forgery,possession of stolen propertyand domestic assault.

He also saidthat all ended when he got custody of his children and stopped using drugs in 2007.

Final arguments Thursday

Glazer told the court he did not believe Flynn and Barrett ever had coffee together. He saidwhen she wasn't working, Flynn spent all her time with him and toldhim everything.

Glazer also said Flynn was not using drugs while they were together, but addedhe asked Flynn to move out when he came home and found her with a needlein her arm on Christmas Eve2011.

Crown attorney Kathy Pentz asked Glazer,if Flynn told him everything, how could he not have known she was using drugs.

Both the Crown and defence say they will put their final few witnesses on the stand today and expect to make final statementson Thursday.

TheCBC's Yvonne LeBlanc-Smith live bloggedfrom the trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Sydney.