Witness says homicide suspect licked blood from his fingers

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Shortly after Calgary Uber driver Kasif Hirani was repeatedly stabbed on a rural highway west of town, his accused assassin tasted his blood, a witness testified Tuesday.

“He licked it off his fingers,” Trista Tinkler instructed Crown prosecutor Britta Kristensen on the shut of her examination in chief within the trial of Robert Daignault.

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Tinkler, who’s serving a six-year sentence for manslaughter within the demise of Kasif Hirani, mentioned Daignault had left the Uber driver’s automobile a short while earlier to help convicted killer Andrew Christal.

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She mentioned Hirani was screaming alongside the deserted roadway after he and Christal exited the automobile, which was owned by the sufferer however being pushed by Daignault.

“Whenever you heard Kasif, what did you hear?” Kristensen requested Tinkler.

“Screaming,” Tinkler mentioned, barely above a whisper.

Daignault, 56, is charged with first-degree homicide within the Dec. 29, 2019, demise of Hirani.

It’s the speculation of Kristensen and co-prosecutor Alyx Nanji that Hirani was killed as a part of a plan to rob him of his automobile and banking data, or he was murdered through the course of an illegal confinement.

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Tinkler had earlier testified she, Daignault, Christal and Hirani had pushed to the situation close to the Springbank Airport the place the sufferer’s lifeless physique was discovered hours later.

She mentioned at one level Hirani had been positioned within the automobile’s trunk and Christal, who’s serving an eight-year sentence for manslaughter, acquired out to take away him from that location.

Tinkler mentioned Daignault additionally left the automobile.

“Are you aware why Rob acquired out?” Kristensen mentioned.

“To assist Andrew,” Tinkler replied.

“And from what you knew why did Andrew need assistance?” the prosecutor mentioned.

“With Kasif,” the witness mentioned.

However she mentioned she didn’t see what occurred behind the car.

“I didn’t see something, as a result of the trunk was open,” mentioned Tinkler, who was seated within the entrance passenger seat of the automobile.

“What was Andrew doing that he wanted assist?” Kristensen continued.

“I’m not 100% positive.”

“Did Andrew say what he wanted assist with?” the prosecutor requested.

After a protracted pause Tinkler replied: “I’m assuming as a result of Kasif was nonetheless screaming.”

“May you hear Kasif screaming?”

“Yeah,” Tinkler mentioned.

“Do you keep in mind when Kasif stopped screaming?” Kristensen mentioned.

“After Rob acquired out.”

The case has been adjourned till Thursday so defence counsel Andrea Urquhart can put together her cross-examination of Tinkler.

KMartin@postmedia.com

X: @KMartinCourts

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