I don’t remember: memory a factor as target of fight takes stand at Misha Pavelick trial

For the past two weeks, most of the witnesses who’ve taken the stand at the Misha Pavelick murder trial have at least mentioned the name Andrew Perkins. In May 2006, he was the new boyfriend of Misha’s ex and was the person Misha was trying to fight that night.

On Thursday, Perkins took the stand for himself.

Read more:

• ‘Skipping rocks and throwing stuff’: Witness describes scene after Misha Pavelick stabbing
• ‘We stabbed a guy’: Witnesses at Misha Pavelick murder trial say accused killer bragged
• Very pale: A last memory of Misha Pavelick at the trial for his murder

The accused in the case is in his 30s now, but was under 18 at the time of the killing, so he cannot be publicly named. Witnesses in the case who were young persons at the time are also not being named.

Perkins went through a list of the people that court has heard were involved that night. He confirmed that he knew the accused through a friend and that the accused was around that night.

He wove basically the same story as others who were in that group – they met at a gas station at the edge of Regina before heading out to Kinookimaw campground.

Perkins said when they were at the campground, he made eye contact with Misha from across the fire and then asked Scott Nelson, his friend and another man in the group, to watch his back.

He’d never met Misha but knew Misha didn’t like him and had heard through others that Misha wanted to fight him.

According to Perkins, the group went back up to the cars to get more alcohol and then when they got back to the bonfire area, he was told they were leaving.

Then, Perkins told court, Misha was in front of him and hit him in the head with a glass bottle. He said he was knocked out and went to the ground, but couldn’t say how long he was out for.

Perkins said he got up and someone gave him a sort of metal ring to use to punch Misha with, but said he wasn’t holding it when he went over and attacked Misha with Scott Nelson, Craig Pratt and the accused.

He said he remembered punching Misha, and Misha hit the ground, and they were kicking him and trying to punch him more. Then Perkins got hit in the back of the head with another bottle.

Perkins said he looked around to see who threw it and just saw someone running into the bushes. He told court he went back to kick Misha again but the fighting stopped and they went to leave.

He said he didn’t see weapons in anyone else’s hands when Misha was being assaulted.

There were a number of questions Perkins didn’t have an answer for, saying he didn’t remember. Things like who else was in the vehicle with him, who told them about the party, whether there was any conversation with Misha before the fight started, how he got back onto his feet after being knocked out or who gave him the metal ring.

Perkins agreed with defence lawyer Andrew Hitchcock when he said Perkins had been a suspect in the case for several years.

Hitchcock asked Perkins about statements he’d given to the police about Scott Nelson, who would be convicted of aggravated assault for stabbing Derek Enns that night.

Perkins told court that, when the group stopped at Regina Beach after the party, Nelson had told Perkins that he’d stabbed someone five times. And Perkins told police a few weeks later that Nelson had also told him on the phone the day after the party that he’d only stabbed someone once.

In response to Hitchcock’s question, Perkins said no, he didn’t tell police about his conversation with Nelson in an attempt to deflect suspicion from himself.

Another witness who was at the party with Perkins that night took the stand briefly on Thursday, T.K.

He frequently responded to the Crown and defence lawyers’ questions that he couldn’t remember.

T.K. remembered there being several minutes between Perkins being hit with a bottle and the group going back after Misha.

He said he didn’t see any knives that night, didn’t have any weapons himself and didn’t participate in the fighting.