Defence scrutinizes police statement of murdered Burnaby teen's friend

A 13-year-old girl who was found dead in Burnaby Central Park would make frequent trips to the park alone and once even fell asleep there, according to a police statement made by a witness that was read in court today.

During the cross-examination of a witness who says she was a close friend of the victim, defence lawyers went through the police statement she made a day after the teen was found dead.

Kevin McCoullough, representing accused murderer Ibrahim Ali, read excerpts from the statement during cross-examination.

In the statement, the witness said the victim "always goes to Central Park by herself" and had once heard the victim slept there before going home.

In the statement, the witness said she didn't believe the victim slept there overnight.

Ali is charged with first degree murder of a 13-year-old Burnaby girl whose body was found in the early hours of July 19th, 2017. She was last seen alive on July 18.

The victim and witness names are both protected by a publication ban.

Cross-examination

McCoullough also suggested the witness was lying to the jury when she said she hadn't "completely" read through transcripts of the 2017 police statement ahead of her testimony.

In the statement, she also details her final encounter with her 13-year-old friend who was found dead in Burnaby Central Park.

"You're lying about that, aren't you?" McCoullough said to the witness, who said she only read "the important parts" of her police statement in preparation of her testimony.

The back-and-forth prompted the judge to address McCoullough directly.

"I don't want you to accuse anyone of being a liar," said B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lance Bernard, before telling McCoullough to continue his cross-examination "without the sarcasm and the scoffing."

During her testimony, the 19-year-old witness, who testified in Mandarin behind a white sheet that kept her from seeing the accused, said she was a close friend and classmate of the victim, having known her for about 11 months.

During the cross-examination, the defence asked about the witness's police statement, specifically an excerpt where she tells police she saw the victim at school on the morning of July 18, and had asked her "what's wrong."

The witness attempted to clarify, saying she didn't think there was anything wrong with the victim that day, and instead was greeting her. She said her English wasn't strong when she gave the police statement and may have made an error while giving it.

The defence also asked her if she knew the victim had a boyfriend. She said she didn't know that.

During her testimony to the Crown on Thursday, the witness said the victim didn't drink alcohol, do drugs, go to parties, or have a boyfriend.

The victim's body was found shortly after midnight on July 19, 2017. Police witnesses say she was half-naked at the time.

In the Crown's opening statement, prosecutors said the teen was passing through the park, likely with headphones on, when she was grabbed and dragged into the woods before she was raped and strangled to death.

The Crown says Ali's DNA was found at the scene.