Jury hears sexually frustrated murder suspect got what he wanted from flatmate

WARNING: This story contains graphic details of an alleged murder in a sexual context.

Nikolas Ibey, who is charged with first-degree murder in the 2022 death of a woman who had just moved to Ottawa from Nunavut to attend college, had been drinking, taking drugs and frustrated in his efforts to find an escort for “eight years.” “For hours straight before finally getting what he wanted from his new flatmate and leaving him dead in his room,” the Crown alleged in his opening statement to the 14-member jury on Wednesday.

The victim, 22-year-old Savanna Pikuyak, had arrived in Ottawa and moved in with Ibey just four days earlier after responding to an ad he posted on Facebook Marketplace for a room to rent, according to assistant Crown attorney Sonia Beauchamp. .

Ibey, now 35, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Ottawa Superior Court at the start of his trial this week; His charge of second-degree murder, a lesser charge, was dismissed by the Crown. He is represented by defense attorneys Ewan Lyttle and Maggie McCann.

The trial is planned to last five weeks.

‘I was angry’, ‘I lied’, ‘I was deceived’

The Crown alleges Ibey asked a friend two days before talking about his plans for the Saturday night of the murder if he and his girlfriend would be interested in the foursome.

Beauchamp told the jury that her friend told Ibey she thought it would be fun, but when she couldn’t reach Ibey’s friend on Saturday night, she took her search for sex online.

In total, Ibey was communicating with 30 sex workers on her phone the night of the murder; sometimes he was conducting more than one conversation at a time.

Beauchamp claimed that he was “disappointed that he had been lied to” and that he had been “tricked into depositing money, but no one showed up”. The only sex worker who came left after talking with İbey for about 15-20 minutes.

Beauchamp said his search continued “for eight hours” from 7 p.m. on Sept. 10 to 3:08 a.m. on Sept. 11, at which time all communication ceased.

text confession

Beauchamp told the jury that at 9 a.m. on Sept. 11, Ibey texted his father and confessed to killing his roommate that night.

Just before this message, İbey had researched the length of sentences for murder and first-degree murder on the internet.

Beauchamp said the people who called 911 were Ibey’s father and brother, and they were expected to testify on behalf of the prosecution.

Police found blood at the entrance to Pikuyak’s door and a bloody piece of wood on the ground. Pikuyak was found naked in his bed, with his mouth open in a sweater, and covered in blood from multiple cuts on his head.

He also suffered defensive wounds and DNA evidence forms part of the case, Beauchamp said.

We had difficulty finding accommodation

Geneva Pikuyak, Savanna Pikuyak’s older sister, was the Crown’s first witness on Wednesday.

Geneva Pikuyak testified under questioning by assistant Crown Prince Michael Purcell, “We were best friends. I would say we were probably the closest brothers in all of Sanirajak.” Sanirajak is their hometown in Nunavut.

She recalled being upset that her sister moved to Ottawa because they ended up living together without their parents. But he was also happy for himself.

Geneva Pikuyak testified that Savanna Pikuyak had difficulty finding a place to live before moving from Sanirajak to Ottawa to attend pre-nursing courses. Geneva Pikuyak said he could not enter the Algonquin College dormitory, his smartphone’s internet connection was not working, and when he could connect to the internet, it was difficult to find a place to rent near the university.

The Crown told the jury that on Sept. 2, Savanna Pikuyak responded to an ad she found on Facebook to rent a room in a three-bedroom rowhouse in Woodvale Green in Ottawa.

İbey’s brother bought the house last month. He offered Ibey the basement room and tasked him with finding other tenants and collecting rent, the Crown said.

Under cross-examination by Lyttle, Geneva Pikuyak said arrangements for her sister’s living situation came together at the last minute, that she had no idea her sister was on medication, and that Savanna Pikuyak did so when the sisters spoke after the move. He was feeling a little overwhelmed.

Geneva Pikuyak also stated that her sister was outgoing, extroverted, an overachiever, and loved to joke around.

Judge tells jury to put aside any prejudices

Before the Crown’s brief summary of the evidence and Geneva Pikuyak’s testimony, Judge Robert Maranger told the jury to keep an open mind, put aside any conscious or unconscious biases they may have while hearing the case and avoid stereotypes.

“Indigenous people in Canada, particularly indigenous women and girls, have been subjected to a long history of colonialism and systemic racism, the effects of which continue to be felt,” she said.

Maranger added that there are also unfounded myths and stereotypes about sexual assault victims. He cautioned jurors not to make assumptions about sexual assault, what kinds of people can and cannot be victims of sexual assault, or what kinds of people can and cannot commit sexual assault.

The trial continues.