A “near murder” for a $40 debt | A fourth trial for Paul Evans Gordon Gray
A unique legal saga continues: Paul Evans Gordon Gray will be entitled to a fourth trial. His case will have to return to court, as the Court of Appeal ruled in his favor on Tuesday.
Published yesterday at
In December 2021, the Superior Court sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment for stabbing to death a defenseless man who was trying to protect his partner. This “near murder” was motivated by a $40 debt.
Paul Evans Gordon Gray was acquitted of murder by a jury in November 2016, then again in December 2018. The Court of Appeal ordered a third trial, each time citing errors of law.
To justify a fourth trial, the Court of Appeal this time mentions that the Crown deviated “repeatedly from established standards” during its final presentations to the jury.
“Only facts established by evidence should be used as a means of persuasion. Everything else is irrelevant. Reason must prevail over emotion or passion,” justified magistrate Guy Cournoyer.
For two greenbacks
The events linked to this case date back to September 27, 2015, in the early morning. For several days, Paul Evans Gordon Gray had been sending text messages to Sonya Mihalick demanding a $40 drug debt. Accompanied by his girlfriend, the accused went to the square to meet Sonya Mihalick and her partner Edwin Johnson.
Paul Evans Gordon Gray then confronted the woman about the money and then slapped her across the face. Without making any threatening gesture, Edwin Johnson intervened by telling the accused not to attack his partner. Paul Evans Gordon Gray then jumped on Edwin Johnson and stabbed him in the neck. The blow to the jugular proved fatal.
Paul Evans Gordon Gray has a long criminal record. In the last 16 years, he has been detained for approximately 11 years, and has never been free for more than 18 months. According to experts, he exhibits narcissistic and antisocial traits.
With the collaboration of Louis-Samuel Perron, The Press
