Woman 'nagged' before dying: Murder trial; Girlfriend's death 'accident': accused
By Sue Montgomery
The Gazette, March 30, 2006
Hours before Kelly-Anne Drummond was found in a pool of blood in her kitchen, she'd been "nagging" her live-in boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau, about $30 he owed their landlord, the 31-year-old told his second-degree-murder trial yesterday.
"There was verbal jousting going on," said Morin-Cousineau, who took the stand yesterday for the first time at the Superior Court hearing. "She's asking about the $30 and I'm telling her to drop it, to let it go."
The two were in their Pierrefonds apartment on Oct. 3, 2004, just days after Drummond, 24, returned from a lifeguarding competition in Italy. Their relationship was tense, Morin-Cousineau said, and they were trying to decide if one of them would leave, or they'd work things out.
Yesterday, Morin-Cousineau denied he'd threatened to kill Drummond if she went to Italy, as an earlier witness testified. But the accused, a former travel agent, said he had threatened on several occasions to cancel her plane ticket.
"It was a way of getting out of discussions," he said.
When Drummond wouldn't let up on the $30, Morin-Cousineau said, he threw an empty 7UP bottle from the living room into the kitchen, where she was preparing dinner. Morin-Cousineau helped himself to a plate of food, a fork and a steak knife, then returned to the living room.
"But she keeps asking and I'm getting upset," he told the five-woman, seven-man jury. "At one point, I just had enough and the adrenaline was pumping."
Morin-Cousineau said he raised an empty mug as if he was going to throw it at her, but didn't.
"I turned toward her to yell at her, 'That's enough! For $30, this is so retarded!'
"I said F--k! Enough! I was fairly tense, the adrenaline had been pumping. I was mad, I guess, very tense."
He threw his arms up, then noticed his fork beside him on the couch. At that moment, he said, he heard noise "of something falling and glass shattering."
"I was aggravated and asked: 'What the hell are you doing?' not necessarily in those words.
"I didn't get an answer, so I ran to the kitchen."
There, he said, Drummond was lying face up, her head in a pool of blood and glass.
"I freaked," the accused told the packed courtroom. "It looked like somebody had turned on a faucet.
"I put my hand underneath her neck and felt a hole, and that's when I really panicked."
A brain scan later revealed a 9.5-centimetre blade lodged in the base of her neck.
Later in his testimony, Morin-Cousineau said he had forgotten to mention that as he held Drummond's head, he noticed a knife handle next to it.
Showing no emotion, Morin-Cousineau explained how he called 911 and told them Drummond was dead. He also "vaguely remembers" performing artificial respiration on her.
When asked by defence lawyer Nellie Benoit if he stabbed Drummond, Morin-Cousineau replied, "No. We were never in the same room.
"It was an accident."
Cross-examination is to continue today.
smontgomery@thegazette.canwest.com
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Press Clippings--Part XXII
“Drummond sought to break up with boyfriend; Defendant was ‘abusive,’ murder trial told “
“I saw tension all the time. If, for any reason, Kelly-Anne would be away from Marty (Morin-Cousineau), like outside exercising or barbecuing, he would be in the rec room, watching TV with the lights off,” he said, adding to testimony that Morin-Cousineau was moody, aloof and threatening with Drummond.
Defence attorney Nellie Benoit got Drummond to admit he had never seen any physical violence or loud arguments between the couple, however.
Drummond’s former boss testified that Drummond had confided in her about the stress of living with Morin-Cousineau because she wanted out of the relationship, but couldn’t leave because the apartment’s lease was in her name.
“She told me that her boyfriend was abusive and that he told her she was ugly all the time, but that she couldn’t leave him because the apartment was in her name and that’s why it was difficult for her to break up with him,” testified Marie-Claire Martin, who owned the Kirkland day care where Drummond was employed in the two years prior to her death. “I offered to lend her three months rent so she could get out of her lease. She thanked me, but didn’t take my offer,” Martin said.
The owner of Les Trésors de Marie-Claire had been set to lay Drummond off earlier, but changed her mind when Drummond said she would change age-group supervision.
Paramedics were called to the couple’s apartment on Oct. 3, 2004. Drummond, a popular athlete and lifeguard, died from her injuries in hospital the next day. Morin-Cousineau told police Drummond fell.
The trial continues today, when the defence is expected to begin its case.
Press Clippings--Part XXI
“Witness provides gory details at trial”
By Marc Lalonde
The Chronicle, March 22, 2006Kelly-Anne Drummond’s death was so gory it prompted one of the paramedics who responded to the call to snap photos of the scene because she had lost so much blood, the jury heard yesterday in the second-degree murder trial of her live-in boyfriend Martin Morin-Cousineau.
“The amount of blood lost was more that I expected when I heard she fell,” said the veteran of 20 years and “thousands,” of incidents involving blood loss. “The blood was coagulating already. If the incident had just happened, that (coagulation) wouldn’t be happening,” he said.
Press Clippings--Part XX
'I want to take you back home'
father: Daughter died a week later, murder trial hears
By Sue Montgomery
The Gazette, March 29, 2006
John Drummond offered to take his daughter home after her boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau, didn't bother greeting her when she arrived at their apartment after a trip to Italy, Morin-Cousineau's murder trial was told yesterday.
"I whispered in her ear, 'I want to take you back home. Do you want to go?' " Drummond told a Quebec Superior Court jury.
"She said no, so I said, 'If you feel you have to go, call me and I'll be here as quick as I can.' She said, 'No, Dad, I'll be fine.' "
Less than a week later, on Oct. 3, 2004, Kelly-Anne Drummond, 24, was found in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with Morin-Cousineau, 31. A 9.5-centimetre knife blade was lodged in the base of her neck. She died two days later.
Morin-Cousineau is charged with second-degree murder. The trial has already been told Morin-Cousineau didn't want Drummond to take the trip.
John Drummond said yesterday the accused just lay on the couch watching TV when his girlfriend came through the door.
"He said hello but didn't look up at us," Drummond said.
Defence lawyer Nellie Benoit asked Drummond if he'd witnessed any violence between the couple. "No physical violence, no," he replied.
Crown prosecutor Helene Di Salvo, who finished presenting her evidence yesterday, asked Drummond to elaborate.
"Throughout the time Morin-Cousineau was in my house, I'd frequently witnessed tension between them," he said. Drummond said he'd never seen the couple have a verbal argument.
Before Kelly-Anne took the trip to Italy to participate in an international lifeguarding competition, she told Marie-Claire Martin, her boss at the daycare where she worked, that her boyfriend was very abusive and wouldn't leave the apartment she had rented.
"I said we'd help her and give her an advance of three months rent," Martin testified. "She thanked me but didn't accept."
Once Drummond returned from Italy, Martin said, she seemed sad and anxious. The last time Martin saw her was on Friday, Oct. 1, 2004.
"She said, 'This weekend, everything will be decided if it works or it doesn't.' "
The defence is to begin its case today.
smontgomery@thegazette.canwest.com
father: Daughter died a week later, murder trial hears
By Sue Montgomery
The Gazette, March 29, 2006
John Drummond offered to take his daughter home after her boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau, didn't bother greeting her when she arrived at their apartment after a trip to Italy, Morin-Cousineau's murder trial was told yesterday.
"I whispered in her ear, 'I want to take you back home. Do you want to go?' " Drummond told a Quebec Superior Court jury.
"She said no, so I said, 'If you feel you have to go, call me and I'll be here as quick as I can.' She said, 'No, Dad, I'll be fine.' "
Less than a week later, on Oct. 3, 2004, Kelly-Anne Drummond, 24, was found in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with Morin-Cousineau, 31. A 9.5-centimetre knife blade was lodged in the base of her neck. She died two days later.
Morin-Cousineau is charged with second-degree murder. The trial has already been told Morin-Cousineau didn't want Drummond to take the trip.
John Drummond said yesterday the accused just lay on the couch watching TV when his girlfriend came through the door.
"He said hello but didn't look up at us," Drummond said.
Defence lawyer Nellie Benoit asked Drummond if he'd witnessed any violence between the couple. "No physical violence, no," he replied.
Crown prosecutor Helene Di Salvo, who finished presenting her evidence yesterday, asked Drummond to elaborate.
"Throughout the time Morin-Cousineau was in my house, I'd frequently witnessed tension between them," he said. Drummond said he'd never seen the couple have a verbal argument.
Before Kelly-Anne took the trip to Italy to participate in an international lifeguarding competition, she told Marie-Claire Martin, her boss at the daycare where she worked, that her boyfriend was very abusive and wouldn't leave the apartment she had rented.
"I said we'd help her and give her an advance of three months rent," Martin testified. "She thanked me but didn't accept."
Once Drummond returned from Italy, Martin said, she seemed sad and anxious. The last time Martin saw her was on Friday, Oct. 1, 2004.
"She said, 'This weekend, everything will be decided if it works or it doesn't.' "
The defence is to begin its case today.
smontgomery@thegazette.canwest.com
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Press Clippings--Part IXX (en francais)
Procès de Martin Morin-Cousineau
Un couteau à steak fatal...
Par Rodolphe Morissette
Le Journal de Montréal, March 22, 2006
Quand ils sont entrés dans le logement de Pierrefonds «pour aider les ambulanciers» qui s'activaient au chevet d'une jeune femme ne respirant plus, les policiers patrouilleurs ont vite conclu qu'il ne s'agissait pas d'un accident. Mais la scène du «crime» pouvait laisser perplexe.
Martin Morin-Cousineau (31 ans) subit depuis lundi un procès devant jury, accusé du meurtre non prémédité, le soir du 3 octobre 2004, de sa compagne, Kelly Ann Drummond (24 ans), une éducatrice oeuvrant dans une garderie.
Deux ambulanciers qui ont témoigné hier, Martin Cadieux et Normand Paquette, retrouvaient la femme étendue sur le dos sur le plancher de la cuisine, la tête entourée d'une mare (considérable) de près de deux litres de sang partiellement coagulé.
Ils remarquaient également que la fenêtre du fourneau était toute craquelée. «Il y avait de la vitre partout», entre la cuisinière et le corps de la femme. Son abondante chevelure contenait mille miettes de poussière de vitre. Le pouls de Kelly Ann frappait encore, ce qui n'était plus le cas quand les ambulanciers ont évacué la femme vers l'hôpital.
Les médecins découvriront que la femme avait une seule blessure, fatale, à la nuque : on retrouvera, enfoncée dans le crâne, la partie d'une lame de couteau à steak longue de 9,5 cm.
Meurtre ou accident ?
Interrogé à leur arrivée par les policiers, Morin-Cousineau leur dit que le couple se disputait au salon et qu'elle s'était dirigée vers la cuisine. Il entendait alors le bruit de quelqu'un qui
s'effondre. L'homme courait à la cuisine, pour découvrir la blessée. Il compose le 9-1-1.
Les policiers arrêtent aussitôt Morin-Cousineau «pour violence conjugale», puis, peu après le décès de la femme, pour meurtre. Quelques pièces de vêtement portés par l'accusé montraient des «taches rougeâtres», notamment à une épaule de son T-shirt et à un genou
Au poste, les agents remarquent aussi du sang séché sur quelques doigts. Le suspect réplique que le préposé au 9-1-1 lui avait demandé de tenir la tête de la blessée en attendant les secours.
Il s'y était taché.
Curieusement, on retrouvait dans une poche de son pantalon la note suivante : «Le temps est propice au changement.»
Le médecin pathologiste qui a pratiqué l'autopsie devrait déposer aujourd'hui.
Un couteau à steak fatal...
Par Rodolphe Morissette
Le Journal de Montréal, March 22, 2006
Quand ils sont entrés dans le logement de Pierrefonds «pour aider les ambulanciers» qui s'activaient au chevet d'une jeune femme ne respirant plus, les policiers patrouilleurs ont vite conclu qu'il ne s'agissait pas d'un accident. Mais la scène du «crime» pouvait laisser perplexe.
Martin Morin-Cousineau (31 ans) subit depuis lundi un procès devant jury, accusé du meurtre non prémédité, le soir du 3 octobre 2004, de sa compagne, Kelly Ann Drummond (24 ans), une éducatrice oeuvrant dans une garderie.
Deux ambulanciers qui ont témoigné hier, Martin Cadieux et Normand Paquette, retrouvaient la femme étendue sur le dos sur le plancher de la cuisine, la tête entourée d'une mare (considérable) de près de deux litres de sang partiellement coagulé.
Ils remarquaient également que la fenêtre du fourneau était toute craquelée. «Il y avait de la vitre partout», entre la cuisinière et le corps de la femme. Son abondante chevelure contenait mille miettes de poussière de vitre. Le pouls de Kelly Ann frappait encore, ce qui n'était plus le cas quand les ambulanciers ont évacué la femme vers l'hôpital.
Les médecins découvriront que la femme avait une seule blessure, fatale, à la nuque : on retrouvera, enfoncée dans le crâne, la partie d'une lame de couteau à steak longue de 9,5 cm.
Meurtre ou accident ?
Interrogé à leur arrivée par les policiers, Morin-Cousineau leur dit que le couple se disputait au salon et qu'elle s'était dirigée vers la cuisine. Il entendait alors le bruit de quelqu'un qui
s'effondre. L'homme courait à la cuisine, pour découvrir la blessée. Il compose le 9-1-1.
Les policiers arrêtent aussitôt Morin-Cousineau «pour violence conjugale», puis, peu après le décès de la femme, pour meurtre. Quelques pièces de vêtement portés par l'accusé montraient des «taches rougeâtres», notamment à une épaule de son T-shirt et à un genou
Au poste, les agents remarquent aussi du sang séché sur quelques doigts. Le suspect réplique que le préposé au 9-1-1 lui avait demandé de tenir la tête de la blessée en attendant les secours.
Il s'y était taché.
Curieusement, on retrouvait dans une poche de son pantalon la note suivante : «Le temps est propice au changement.»
Le médecin pathologiste qui a pratiqué l'autopsie devrait déposer aujourd'hui.
Press Clippings--Part XIII (en francais)
"Accusé d'avoir poignardé sa conjointe"
Par André Cédilot
La Presse
Quelques jours avant d'être assassinée à l'automne 2004, Kelly-Ann Drummond avait l'intention de rompre avec son conjoint, mais elle disait avoir peur de lui, car il l'avait déjà menacée dans le passé.
C'est le fil conducteur qu'entend suivre le ministère public pour démontrer à un jury des assises de Montréal la culpabilité de Martin Moreau-Cousineau, 31 ans, accusé de meurtre non prémédité.
À l'ouverture du procès hier, Me Hélène DiSalvo a indiqué que l'accusé était la seule autre personne présente dans le petit logement du boulevard Pierrefonds quand les ambulanciers ont trouvé la victime ensanglantée dans la cuisine, le soir du 3 octobre 2004.
Atteinte d'un coup de couteau à la nuque, la jeune femme de 24 ans est morte deux jours plus tard à l'hôpital, sans jamais avoir repris connaissance. Une radiographie a permis de déceler qu'elle avait une lame de couteau longue de 9,5 cm enfoncée dans le crâne. Le manche du couteau brisé, a noté Me DiSalvo dans son exposé préliminaire aux jurés, a par ailleurs été retrouvé sur un comptoir de la cuisine.
Selon l'avocate, c'est l'accusé lui-même qui a appelé le 911. Il aurait affirmé aux policiers qu'il était assis dans le salon quand il a soudainement «entendu quelque chose tomber» dans la cuisine. Il s'y est immédiatement rendu pour trouver sa conjointe étendue sur le plancher, dans une mare de sang. Selon Me DiSalvo, il a été arrêté sur-le-champ par la police.
Fait inusité, le juge Claude Champagne, de la Cour supérieure, a dû faire appel à un candidat «en réserve» pour remplacer le juré numéro 8, forcé de subir une intervention chirurgicale de dernière minute en raison d'un problème de santé. L'actuel jury est formé de sept hommes et cinq femmes.
Selon les avocats, le procès pourrait durer de trois à quatre semaines. Au moment de l'ajournement, on en était à l'interrogatoire d'un quatrième témoin, tous des policiers de la Ville de Montréal qui ont participé à l'examen de la scène de crime. L'audition se poursuit aujourd'hui.
Par André Cédilot
La Presse
Quelques jours avant d'être assassinée à l'automne 2004, Kelly-Ann Drummond avait l'intention de rompre avec son conjoint, mais elle disait avoir peur de lui, car il l'avait déjà menacée dans le passé.
C'est le fil conducteur qu'entend suivre le ministère public pour démontrer à un jury des assises de Montréal la culpabilité de Martin Moreau-Cousineau, 31 ans, accusé de meurtre non prémédité.
À l'ouverture du procès hier, Me Hélène DiSalvo a indiqué que l'accusé était la seule autre personne présente dans le petit logement du boulevard Pierrefonds quand les ambulanciers ont trouvé la victime ensanglantée dans la cuisine, le soir du 3 octobre 2004.
Atteinte d'un coup de couteau à la nuque, la jeune femme de 24 ans est morte deux jours plus tard à l'hôpital, sans jamais avoir repris connaissance. Une radiographie a permis de déceler qu'elle avait une lame de couteau longue de 9,5 cm enfoncée dans le crâne. Le manche du couteau brisé, a noté Me DiSalvo dans son exposé préliminaire aux jurés, a par ailleurs été retrouvé sur un comptoir de la cuisine.
Selon l'avocate, c'est l'accusé lui-même qui a appelé le 911. Il aurait affirmé aux policiers qu'il était assis dans le salon quand il a soudainement «entendu quelque chose tomber» dans la cuisine. Il s'y est immédiatement rendu pour trouver sa conjointe étendue sur le plancher, dans une mare de sang. Selon Me DiSalvo, il a été arrêté sur-le-champ par la police.
Fait inusité, le juge Claude Champagne, de la Cour supérieure, a dû faire appel à un candidat «en réserve» pour remplacer le juré numéro 8, forcé de subir une intervention chirurgicale de dernière minute en raison d'un problème de santé. L'actuel jury est formé de sept hommes et cinq femmes.
Selon les avocats, le procès pourrait durer de trois à quatre semaines. Au moment de l'ajournement, on en était à l'interrogatoire d'un quatrième témoin, tous des policiers de la Ville de Montréal qui ont participé à l'examen de la scène de crime. L'audition se poursuit aujourd'hui.
Press Clippings--Part XII
Trial told of death threat over trip to Italy
SUE MONTGOMERY
The Gazette
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Kelly-Anne Drummond travelled to Italy despite her boyfriend's threats to kill her if she took the trip, a close friend of the popular athlete and lifeguard told a murder trial yesterday.
"She told me he said he'd beat the living s--t out of her if she went," Philippe Major said in Quebec Superior Court of the conversations he had with Drummond, 24, at the end of September 2004, when the two were attending a lifesaving competition in Italy.
Four days after returning to Canada from that trip, Drummond was found in a pool of blood in the kitchen of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with Martin Morin-Cousineau, 31. He is being tried for second-degree murder.
"She said he'd put a knife on the table beside her," Major recalled of their conversations in Italy. "When she asked, 'What are you going to do with that?' he said, 'If you ever piss me off again, I'll kill you.' "
Drummond told Major she had just signed a one-year lease on the apartment in August 2004 and was afraid she'd have to pay a full year's rent if she left Morin-Cousineau. She also said she'd lent him about $4,000.
Major helped Drummond come up with a "plan of attack" to leave her boyfriend, but she was afraid of aggravating the situation and making Morin-Cousineau even angrier.
Defence lawyer Sasha Blais asked Major why he didn't mention the death threats in emails he sent to police investigators after Drummond's fatal stabbing.
"In my head there was no reason to write word for word what she'd said to me," Major said.
"Yes, I omitted a lot, but she was dead. Why go into details?
"I'd never done a statement like that before."
It wasn't until a year later, in September 2005, when Major returned to Canada, that he sent an email to investigators telling them about the detailed threats.
But for some reason, police didn't receive the message. Major re-sent the email in November.
Drummond's father, John Drummond, is to testify today.
smontgomery@thegazette.canwest.com
SUE MONTGOMERY
The Gazette
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Kelly-Anne Drummond travelled to Italy despite her boyfriend's threats to kill her if she took the trip, a close friend of the popular athlete and lifeguard told a murder trial yesterday.
"She told me he said he'd beat the living s--t out of her if she went," Philippe Major said in Quebec Superior Court of the conversations he had with Drummond, 24, at the end of September 2004, when the two were attending a lifesaving competition in Italy.
Four days after returning to Canada from that trip, Drummond was found in a pool of blood in the kitchen of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with Martin Morin-Cousineau, 31. He is being tried for second-degree murder.
"She said he'd put a knife on the table beside her," Major recalled of their conversations in Italy. "When she asked, 'What are you going to do with that?' he said, 'If you ever piss me off again, I'll kill you.' "
Drummond told Major she had just signed a one-year lease on the apartment in August 2004 and was afraid she'd have to pay a full year's rent if she left Morin-Cousineau. She also said she'd lent him about $4,000.
Major helped Drummond come up with a "plan of attack" to leave her boyfriend, but she was afraid of aggravating the situation and making Morin-Cousineau even angrier.
Defence lawyer Sasha Blais asked Major why he didn't mention the death threats in emails he sent to police investigators after Drummond's fatal stabbing.
"In my head there was no reason to write word for word what she'd said to me," Major said.
"Yes, I omitted a lot, but she was dead. Why go into details?
"I'd never done a statement like that before."
It wasn't until a year later, in September 2005, when Major returned to Canada, that he sent an email to investigators telling them about the detailed threats.
But for some reason, police didn't receive the message. Major re-sent the email in November.
Drummond's father, John Drummond, is to testify today.
smontgomery@thegazette.canwest.com
Friday, March 24, 2006
Press Clippings--Part XI
ER doctors missed knife blade in skull: Murder trial. Fatal damage was already done, pathologist testifies
By Sue Montgomery
The Gazette, March 24, 2006
Doctors at Lakeshore General Hospital didn't notice a 9.5-centimetre knife blade lodged in Kelly-Anne Drummond's skull the night she was brought to the emergency room by ambulance, a Quebec Superior Court murder trial heard yesterday.
It wasn't until the 24-year-old was transferred to Montreal General Hospital that a brain scan revealed the blade, whose handle had snapped off, the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on Drummond testified.
"But the damage was already irreversible" when she arrived at the Lakeshore, said Andre Lauzon, who examined Drummond on Oct. 6, 2004, three days after she had been found in a pool of blood in the kitchen of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau, 31.
Morin-Cousineau is charged with second-degree murder.
Lauzon, who works for the Quebec coroner's office, told the seven-man, five-woman jury the blade entered the base of Drummond's skull between two vertebrae, cutting the spinal cord.
She died on Oct. 5, when life support was removed.
The court has already heard that Morin-Cousineau told police he was sitting on the sofa when he heard something fall, then found Drummond bleeding on the kitchen floor and called 911.
Judging from photos taken at the scene, Lauzon estimated Drummond lost between 1.5 and two litres of blood.
Crown prosecutor Helene Di Salvo suggested Morin-Cou-sineau did not call 911 right away.
"Could a person lose that much in seven minutes?" she asked Lauzon, referring to the time it took for paramedics to arrive after Morin-Cousineau's call.
"I believe it would take longer than that to lose so much blood," Lauzon replied.
Defence lawyer Sacha Blais pointed out that photos were taken at the scene until 28 minutes after 911 was called. Lauzon conceded it was possible such a large amount of blood could be lost in that time.
The trial continues Monday.
smontgomery@thegazette.canwest.com
By Sue Montgomery
The Gazette, March 24, 2006
Doctors at Lakeshore General Hospital didn't notice a 9.5-centimetre knife blade lodged in Kelly-Anne Drummond's skull the night she was brought to the emergency room by ambulance, a Quebec Superior Court murder trial heard yesterday.
It wasn't until the 24-year-old was transferred to Montreal General Hospital that a brain scan revealed the blade, whose handle had snapped off, the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on Drummond testified.
"But the damage was already irreversible" when she arrived at the Lakeshore, said Andre Lauzon, who examined Drummond on Oct. 6, 2004, three days after she had been found in a pool of blood in the kitchen of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau, 31.
Morin-Cousineau is charged with second-degree murder.
Lauzon, who works for the Quebec coroner's office, told the seven-man, five-woman jury the blade entered the base of Drummond's skull between two vertebrae, cutting the spinal cord.
She died on Oct. 5, when life support was removed.
The court has already heard that Morin-Cousineau told police he was sitting on the sofa when he heard something fall, then found Drummond bleeding on the kitchen floor and called 911.
Judging from photos taken at the scene, Lauzon estimated Drummond lost between 1.5 and two litres of blood.
Crown prosecutor Helene Di Salvo suggested Morin-Cou-sineau did not call 911 right away.
"Could a person lose that much in seven minutes?" she asked Lauzon, referring to the time it took for paramedics to arrive after Morin-Cousineau's call.
"I believe it would take longer than that to lose so much blood," Lauzon replied.
Defence lawyer Sacha Blais pointed out that photos were taken at the scene until 28 minutes after 911 was called. Lauzon conceded it was possible such a large amount of blood could be lost in that time.
The trial continues Monday.
smontgomery@thegazette.canwest.com
Press Clippings--Part X
'I got mad ... and she fell onto the stove': 911 tape: Boyfriend's explanation in emergency call played back during murder trial
By Katherine Wilton
The Gazette, March 23, 2006
In a phone call played at his murder trial yesterday, a panic-stricken Martin Morin-Cousineau told an Urgences Sante operator his girlfriend Kelly-Anne Drummond "slipped and fell onto the stove" after he got angry while they were fighting at their Pierrefonds apartment.
"Please, quick, I think she is dead - there is blood everywhere," he said during the six-minute call, made on Oct. 3, 2004.
Morin-Cousineau is on trial for second-degree murder in the killing of Drummond, 24. She died two days after paramedics found her lying injured in the apartment. A 9.5-centimetre-long blade was lodged in her skull.
When the operator told Morin-Cousineau to put Drummond on her back so he could give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he replied she was already on her back. He then said: "She is not breathing. What does it matter? She has a big hole in the back of her head. What do I do?"
The accused then told the operator he wanted to get off the phone so he could call his mother, a nurse. But the operator insisted he stay on the line so she could instruct him on how to help Drummond breathe.
Then Morin-Cousineau said he needed to get off the phone because ambulance technicians had arrived at the apartment.
When the operator asked to speak to the paramedics, Morin-Cousineau hesitated, then said: "They are not here right now."
When the operator asked him what had happened, he told her he and Drummond "got into a little fight. I got mad ... and she slipped and fell onto the stove.
"There is so much blood here, it is sick," he said. "There is a big hole at the back of her head. I don't know what to do with it."
Also yesterday, a chemist from the provincial crime laboratory testified the blade retrieved from Drummond's skull came from a knife found on a kitchen counter.
The trial continues today.
kwilton@thegazette.canwest.com
By Katherine Wilton
The Gazette, March 23, 2006
In a phone call played at his murder trial yesterday, a panic-stricken Martin Morin-Cousineau told an Urgences Sante operator his girlfriend Kelly-Anne Drummond "slipped and fell onto the stove" after he got angry while they were fighting at their Pierrefonds apartment.
"Please, quick, I think she is dead - there is blood everywhere," he said during the six-minute call, made on Oct. 3, 2004.
Morin-Cousineau is on trial for second-degree murder in the killing of Drummond, 24. She died two days after paramedics found her lying injured in the apartment. A 9.5-centimetre-long blade was lodged in her skull.
When the operator told Morin-Cousineau to put Drummond on her back so he could give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he replied she was already on her back. He then said: "She is not breathing. What does it matter? She has a big hole in the back of her head. What do I do?"
The accused then told the operator he wanted to get off the phone so he could call his mother, a nurse. But the operator insisted he stay on the line so she could instruct him on how to help Drummond breathe.
Then Morin-Cousineau said he needed to get off the phone because ambulance technicians had arrived at the apartment.
When the operator asked to speak to the paramedics, Morin-Cousineau hesitated, then said: "They are not here right now."
When the operator asked him what had happened, he told her he and Drummond "got into a little fight. I got mad ... and she slipped and fell onto the stove.
"There is so much blood here, it is sick," he said. "There is a big hole at the back of her head. I don't know what to do with it."
Also yesterday, a chemist from the provincial crime laboratory testified the blade retrieved from Drummond's skull came from a knife found on a kitchen counter.
The trial continues today.
kwilton@thegazette.canwest.com
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Press Clippings--Part IX
Boyfriend's story didn't sound right: Said girlfriend fell Too much blood for that kind of injury, paramedic tells trial
The Gazette, March 22, 2006
By Katherine Wilton
When paramedics arrived at Kelly-Anne Drummond's Pierrefonds apartment on Oct. 3, 2004, her anxious boyfriend was standing in the hallway, gesturing for them to come inside quickly.
As they entered the kitchen, they spotted the 24-year-old woman lying unconscious on her back, a large pool of blood around her head.
"He kept saying she had a big hole behind her head," paramedic Martin Cadieux testified yesterday at the trial of Drummond's live-in boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau. He is charged with second-degree murder.
"He said she was not breathing. He was very nervous."
Drummond died two days after being knifed near the base of her skull. A 9.5-centimetre-long blade was lodged in her skull, a brain scan showed.
Glass from the oven door was scattered around the kitchen. There also were several pieces of glass in Drummond's long hair, Cadieux testified, which led him to believe her head "may have come into contact with the oven door."
Cadieux said Morin-Cousineau told him that when he entered the kitchen after hearing something fall, his girlfriend was lying on the floor.
Barnet Wexler, another paramedic who was at the apartment, testified that after Drummond was taken to a hospital, he took the unusual step of using his digital camera to take pictures of the pool of blood.
Wexler said he "wanted to show the doctors how much blood was on the floor."
Wexler said he had been told that Drummond fell in the kitchen, but his many years of experience told him a fall would not lead to that much blood loss.
"It didn't seem right," he told the Quebec Superior Court jury.
"There was a lot of blood and it was already coagulating."
Montreal police Constable Frederic Martineau testified that when he arrived at the apartment that night, Morin-Cousineau told him he and Drummond had been arguing before she went into the kitchen.
Morin-Cousineau said he was sitting on the sofa when he heard something fall. He then told Martineau he found Drummond bleeding on the kitchen floor and called 911.
Martineau said he arrested Morin-Cousineau at the scene because he "didn't believe his version of the story."
When handcuffing Morin-Cousineau, the constable spotted blood on the fingernails of the suspect's left hand and on the left shoulder of his shirt.
Morin-Cousineau told the arresting office the blood was on his hands because he had touched Drummond's head.
While en route to a police operations centre in St. Laurent, Morin-Cousineau repeatedly asked, "Is she OK?" and "Can I go visit her in the hospital?" Martineau testified.
The trial continues today.
kwilton@thegazette.canwest.com
The Gazette, March 22, 2006
By Katherine Wilton
When paramedics arrived at Kelly-Anne Drummond's Pierrefonds apartment on Oct. 3, 2004, her anxious boyfriend was standing in the hallway, gesturing for them to come inside quickly.
As they entered the kitchen, they spotted the 24-year-old woman lying unconscious on her back, a large pool of blood around her head.
"He kept saying she had a big hole behind her head," paramedic Martin Cadieux testified yesterday at the trial of Drummond's live-in boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau. He is charged with second-degree murder.
"He said she was not breathing. He was very nervous."
Drummond died two days after being knifed near the base of her skull. A 9.5-centimetre-long blade was lodged in her skull, a brain scan showed.
Glass from the oven door was scattered around the kitchen. There also were several pieces of glass in Drummond's long hair, Cadieux testified, which led him to believe her head "may have come into contact with the oven door."
Cadieux said Morin-Cousineau told him that when he entered the kitchen after hearing something fall, his girlfriend was lying on the floor.
Barnet Wexler, another paramedic who was at the apartment, testified that after Drummond was taken to a hospital, he took the unusual step of using his digital camera to take pictures of the pool of blood.
Wexler said he "wanted to show the doctors how much blood was on the floor."
Wexler said he had been told that Drummond fell in the kitchen, but his many years of experience told him a fall would not lead to that much blood loss.
"It didn't seem right," he told the Quebec Superior Court jury.
"There was a lot of blood and it was already coagulating."
Montreal police Constable Frederic Martineau testified that when he arrived at the apartment that night, Morin-Cousineau told him he and Drummond had been arguing before she went into the kitchen.
Morin-Cousineau said he was sitting on the sofa when he heard something fall. He then told Martineau he found Drummond bleeding on the kitchen floor and called 911.
Martineau said he arrested Morin-Cousineau at the scene because he "didn't believe his version of the story."
When handcuffing Morin-Cousineau, the constable spotted blood on the fingernails of the suspect's left hand and on the left shoulder of his shirt.
Morin-Cousineau told the arresting office the blood was on his hands because he had touched Drummond's head.
While en route to a police operations centre in St. Laurent, Morin-Cousineau repeatedly asked, "Is she OK?" and "Can I go visit her in the hospital?" Martineau testified.
The trial continues today.
kwilton@thegazette.canwest.com
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
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Please Note:
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All rights are reserved for all texts and images on this website. Please do not use any pictures or text that appears on this site for any purpose. If you have any questions or would like to request permission to use something from the site, please e-mail me and I will respond to requests on a case-by-case basis.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Press Clippings--Part VIII
Prosecutor lays out case against athlete's boyfriend
Martin Morin-Cousineau charged with killing Kelly-Anne Drummond in 2004
The Gazette, March 21, 2006
By Katherine Wilton
Several days before Kelly-Anne Drummond died in the fall of 2004, the popular West Island athlete had told friends she wanted to leave her live-in boyfriend because he was threatening her, a crown prosecutor said yesterday.
Her boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau, is charged with second-degree murder. His Superior Court trial began yesterday.
Drummond was found in a pool of blood on Oct. 3, 2004, in the kitchen of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with Morin-Cousineau.
When doctors performed a brain scan on the 24-year-old woman, they spotted a 9.5-centimetre blade lodged at the base of her skull, prosecutor Helene Di Salvo told the jury.
Drummond was in cardiac arrest when ambulance technicians arrived on the scene.
She died two days later at the Montreal General Hospital.
During testimony by a crime-scene technician, Di Salvo put on a pair of latex gloves and showed jurors the handle of a kitchen knife with the blade broken off.
Morin-Cousineau, 31, was the only other person in the apartment at the time Drummond was attacked, and it was he who called 911, Di Salvo said as she laid out her case for the jury.
"He said he was in the living room and heard something fall (in the kitchen)," Di Salvo said.
Police arrived and arrested Morin-Cousineau.
Drummond, who worked as an educator in a daycare centre, was highly regarded in rugby and water polo circles at John Abbott College and Concordia University.
She was an accomplished lifeguard and competed for Quebec and Canada at international lifesaving competitions.
Drummond's parents, her younger sister, Kim, and several friends were in court for the first day of the trial, which is scheduled to last about three weeks.
Her mother, Doreen Haddad-Drummond, fought back tears as the court clerk read out the murder charge against Morin-Cousineau.
The accused, dressed in a white shirt and black jacket, listened attentively throughout the day, occasionally glancing at his parents, who were also in the courtroom.
The trial continues today.
kwilton@thegazette.canwest.com
Martin Morin-Cousineau charged with killing Kelly-Anne Drummond in 2004
The Gazette, March 21, 2006
By Katherine Wilton
Several days before Kelly-Anne Drummond died in the fall of 2004, the popular West Island athlete had told friends she wanted to leave her live-in boyfriend because he was threatening her, a crown prosecutor said yesterday.
Her boyfriend, Martin Morin-Cousineau, is charged with second-degree murder. His Superior Court trial began yesterday.
Drummond was found in a pool of blood on Oct. 3, 2004, in the kitchen of the Pierrefonds apartment she shared with Morin-Cousineau.
When doctors performed a brain scan on the 24-year-old woman, they spotted a 9.5-centimetre blade lodged at the base of her skull, prosecutor Helene Di Salvo told the jury.
Drummond was in cardiac arrest when ambulance technicians arrived on the scene.
She died two days later at the Montreal General Hospital.
During testimony by a crime-scene technician, Di Salvo put on a pair of latex gloves and showed jurors the handle of a kitchen knife with the blade broken off.
Morin-Cousineau, 31, was the only other person in the apartment at the time Drummond was attacked, and it was he who called 911, Di Salvo said as she laid out her case for the jury.
"He said he was in the living room and heard something fall (in the kitchen)," Di Salvo said.
Police arrived and arrested Morin-Cousineau.
Drummond, who worked as an educator in a daycare centre, was highly regarded in rugby and water polo circles at John Abbott College and Concordia University.
She was an accomplished lifeguard and competed for Quebec and Canada at international lifesaving competitions.
Drummond's parents, her younger sister, Kim, and several friends were in court for the first day of the trial, which is scheduled to last about three weeks.
Her mother, Doreen Haddad-Drummond, fought back tears as the court clerk read out the murder charge against Morin-Cousineau.
The accused, dressed in a white shirt and black jacket, listened attentively throughout the day, occasionally glancing at his parents, who were also in the courtroom.
The trial continues today.
kwilton@thegazette.canwest.com
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
sisters
I don't think I ever saw two sisters that were as close as Kim and Kelly-Anne Drummond.
Only eleven months apart in age, these two were each others biggest fans. They were only a grade apart in school, and I can always remember them sharing friends, clothes, and good times--when they were little, they even shared a secret code language! Kell loved being the "big" sister and whenever she talked about Kim's achievements, she sounded prouder than anything.
I can vividly remember Kell saying things like "Rachel, Kim is doing so well in school! She is playing Waterpolo for Carleton, working, and doing great in her classes!" In one of our last conversations the day before she was killed, Kell told me of Kim's plans to become a doula. "Raye, Kim is planning on taking the courses to become a doula! Isn't that amazing?!" [Kim planned on taking the Doula course in October 2004, but of course had to put it off because of Kelly-Anne's death. She was finally able to take the class in October 2005.] Kelly-Anne and Kim always looked out for one another, stood up for one another, and supported eachother.
As an only child, I was always envious of their close relationship. They were always there for each other and understood each other better than anyone else ever could--as sisters should. When I think of their relationship, I think these quotes sum it up best:
"We are sisters by birth but friends by choice."
"A sister makes your life happier just because she's in it. She's a part of everything you've ever known or loved."
A sister is someone who believes in you sometimes more than you do yourself."
Kell's death has left a hole in everyone's hearts--most especially in Kim's.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Welcome Everyone
This site has been getting more hits than ususal, and I wanted to take a minute to welcome you all. My purpose in creating and maintaining this blog over the past year has been to provide Kell's family members and friends, as well as the many perfect strangers who will hear her story, with a website dedicated to her memory.
As you will see if you read through the archives, sometimes I write stories about Kell and sometimes I post photos of her growing up. Writing has always been an outlet for me, and it helps me cope with things that don't make sense. I hope you will enjoy the memories of Kelly-Anne that I have to share. We had a remarkably long friendship and I was blessed to know her.
Please feel free to share any stories or memories that you would like to see posted on this blog. I'd be happy to oblige.
As you will see if you read through the archives, sometimes I write stories about Kell and sometimes I post photos of her growing up. Writing has always been an outlet for me, and it helps me cope with things that don't make sense. I hope you will enjoy the memories of Kelly-Anne that I have to share. We had a remarkably long friendship and I was blessed to know her.
Please feel free to share any stories or memories that you would like to see posted on this blog. I'd be happy to oblige.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Press Clippings--Part VII
Story about Doreen's talk at John Abbott College from The Chronicle.
By MARC LALONDE
Violence against women can and must be overcome if society is to
have hope for the future, said the West Island co-ordinator of the
Murdered and Missing Persons' Families Association — a women who
knows all too well the horrors conjugal violence can bring to a
family.
Doreen Haddad Drummond, whose daughter Kelly-Anne was allegedly
murdered by her live-in boyfriend Martin Morin-Cousineau in Oct.
2004, will be the keynote speaker at an International Women's Day
celebration to be held March 7 at John Abbott College in Ste. Anne
de Bellevue.
"Every year we come up with a different theme for the celebration of
International Women's Day and this year it's violence against women
and what we can do to stop it," said John Abbott College Women's
Studies and Gender Relations co-ordinator Vivianne Silver. "We're
trying to send a message of hope and we're seeking to educate and
sensitize the community to the damage conjugal violence can cause."
Silver said there are no easy answers to predicting conjugal
violence — "That's a great question," — but it starts with making
men and women equal partners in relationships, she said. "We realize
that nobody's going anywhere without good men by our side, and my
whole approach is not to disregard men, but rather to foster an
approach to relationships where we really walk hand in hand."
Doreen Haddad Drummond said her keynote address will focus on
retaining hope and surviving, even in the face of horrific violence.
"Everyone gets through in a different way. I got through it knowing
I had wonderful family and friends who were there for me and there's
been a lot of support. I have an incredible employer who is trying
to understand what I'm going through and helps me to keep my mind
occupied when I'm at work, but there's always small things that
happen and remind you, and all of a sudden I'll be sitting there
missing Kelly-Anne something terrible.
"Some women aren't as lucky as I am and they can't even get out of
bed. However, I think Kelly-Anne's legacy was to live, laugh and
become adventurous. I have to believe that she didn't die in vain
and I have to believe I can help others with Kelly-Anne's story.
Conjugal violence is always something that stays silent, and since
Kelly-Anne's death, I've been able to reach three women who were in
abusive relationships. Hopefully, someone else will be able to live
because of Kelly-Anne's death," she said.
The International Women's Day celebrations at John Abbott College,
organized by the Women's Studies and Gender Relations department
will kick off March 7 at 2 p.m. in The Agora, located in the
Casgrain building. The celebration will be led off by JAC grad and
professional composer and singer Pamela Lamb and Drummond's keynote
address will follow. For more information, call 457-6610.
Press Clippings--Part VI
From today's Gazette
Mother describes parents' worst nightmare: Pain mixed with sense of guilt; Polytechnique massacre in '89 was far from end of violence against women
By PATRICIA ENBORG
"Nothing worse in my life now could ever affect me as much as losing my daughter to a senseless, selfish, horrific murder. It's the ultimate pain I will ever have to face."
With those words, Doreen Haddad-Drummond captured the attention of the audience of young women and men at John Abbott College Tuesday afternoon.
Haddad-Drummond was addressing the topic of violence against women - as the guest speaker of the school's Women's Studies and Gender Certificate Program - on the eve of International Women's Day.
Her 24-year-old daughter, Kelly-Anne Drummond, a former student at John Abbott, was murdered Oct. 5, 2004. Her live-in boyfriend was charged and goes on trial shortly.
Haddad-Drummond recounted how her daughter's violent death affected her and her family from that moment on.
She said their lives were marked by deep sadness and she spent many months blaming herself for the tragedy.
"I should have seen it coming. I should have taken my daughter and hid her from the accused ... but the reality is that I had no control over her aggressor."
More than 35 women and children were murdered in Quebec between November 2003 and November 2004 as a result of domestic violence, Haddad-Drummond said.
She questioned what society has learned since the slaying of 14 young women at the ecole Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989.
Too many women are living in silence, too embarrassed to speak out and ask for help, which has been a hard personal lesson, Haddad-Drummond said. "My guilt for not knowing then what I know now, I learned at a very high price."
Haddad-Drummond said she doesn't presume to have the answers, but does believe it's everyone's duty to set a good example: "Our little boys need to be taught to be gentlemen and our little girls should be taught to know the difference between loving and controlling motives."
Shortly after her daughter's death, Haddad-Drummond said she learned about l'Association des Familles de Personnes Assassinees ou Disparues du Quebec (AFPAD), a new organization known in English as the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association. The nonprofit group helps families in similar circumstances and is headed by Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, whose daughter Julie was murdered in 2002. He lost a second daughter, Isabelle, in a car accident last December.
After learning more about AFPAD, Haddad-Drummond founded the West Island chapter of the organization. She serves as co-ordinator, holding monthly meetings at the office of the West Island Community Resource Centre on Donegani in Pointe Claire. So far a dozen families have joined.
Boisvenu also spoke to the John Abbott College gathering on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of women speaking out about domestic violence. He said he understands why so many women are silent because it takes a lot of courage to denounce an aggressor. About 80 per cent of the murder victims in Quebec are women, he said, "so you see the importance of not remaining silent."
Boisvenu said he gladly accepted the invitation to address the students. "I lost two young girls about your age. Quebec society can't permit the loss of young women, young men, this age. We can't permit this."
Mother describes parents' worst nightmare: Pain mixed with sense of guilt; Polytechnique massacre in '89 was far from end of violence against women
By PATRICIA ENBORG
"Nothing worse in my life now could ever affect me as much as losing my daughter to a senseless, selfish, horrific murder. It's the ultimate pain I will ever have to face."
With those words, Doreen Haddad-Drummond captured the attention of the audience of young women and men at John Abbott College Tuesday afternoon.
Haddad-Drummond was addressing the topic of violence against women - as the guest speaker of the school's Women's Studies and Gender Certificate Program - on the eve of International Women's Day.
Her 24-year-old daughter, Kelly-Anne Drummond, a former student at John Abbott, was murdered Oct. 5, 2004. Her live-in boyfriend was charged and goes on trial shortly.
Haddad-Drummond recounted how her daughter's violent death affected her and her family from that moment on.
She said their lives were marked by deep sadness and she spent many months blaming herself for the tragedy.
"I should have seen it coming. I should have taken my daughter and hid her from the accused ... but the reality is that I had no control over her aggressor."
More than 35 women and children were murdered in Quebec between November 2003 and November 2004 as a result of domestic violence, Haddad-Drummond said.
She questioned what society has learned since the slaying of 14 young women at the ecole Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989.
Too many women are living in silence, too embarrassed to speak out and ask for help, which has been a hard personal lesson, Haddad-Drummond said. "My guilt for not knowing then what I know now, I learned at a very high price."
Haddad-Drummond said she doesn't presume to have the answers, but does believe it's everyone's duty to set a good example: "Our little boys need to be taught to be gentlemen and our little girls should be taught to know the difference between loving and controlling motives."
Shortly after her daughter's death, Haddad-Drummond said she learned about l'Association des Familles de Personnes Assassinees ou Disparues du Quebec (AFPAD), a new organization known in English as the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association. The nonprofit group helps families in similar circumstances and is headed by Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, whose daughter Julie was murdered in 2002. He lost a second daughter, Isabelle, in a car accident last December.
After learning more about AFPAD, Haddad-Drummond founded the West Island chapter of the organization. She serves as co-ordinator, holding monthly meetings at the office of the West Island Community Resource Centre on Donegani in Pointe Claire. So far a dozen families have joined.
Boisvenu also spoke to the John Abbott College gathering on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of women speaking out about domestic violence. He said he understands why so many women are silent because it takes a lot of courage to denounce an aggressor. About 80 per cent of the murder victims in Quebec are women, he said, "so you see the importance of not remaining silent."
Boisvenu said he gladly accepted the invitation to address the students. "I lost two young girls about your age. Quebec society can't permit the loss of young women, young men, this age. We can't permit this."
Friday, March 03, 2006
summer in the city
This is a photo of Kell enjoying a nice summer's day in Montreal a few months before she died.
Press Clippings--Part V
Speaking out about violence against women
By MARC LALONDE
The Chronicle
Violence against women can and must be overcome if society is to have hope for the future, said the West Island co-ordinator of the Murdered and Missing Persons’ Families Association — a women who knows all too well the horrors conjugal violence can bring to a family.
Doreen Haddad Drummond, whose daughter Kelly-Anne was allegedly murdered by her live-in boyfriend Martin Morin-Cousineau in Oct. 2004, will be the keynote speaker at an International Women’s Day celebration to be held March 7 at John Abbott College in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.
“Every year we come up with a different theme for the celebration of International Women’s Day and this year it’s violence against women and what we can do to stop it,” said John Abbott College Women’s Studies and Gender Relations co-ordinator Vivianne Silver. “We’re trying to send a message of hope and we’re seeking to educate and sensitize the community to the damage conjugal violence can cause.”
Silver said there are no easy answers to predicting conjugal violence — “That’s a great question,” — but it starts with making men and women equal partners in relationships, she said. “We realize that nobody’s going anywhere without good men by our side, and my whole approach is not to disregard men, but rather to foster an approach to relationships where we really walk hand in hand.”
Doreen Haddad Drummond said her keynote address will focus on retaining hope and surviving, even in the face of horrific violence.
“Everyone gets through in a different way. I got through it knowing I had wonderful family and friends who were there for me and there’s been a lot of support. I have an incredible employer who is trying to understand what I’m going through and helps me to keep my mind occupied when I’m at work, but there’s always small things that happen and remind you, and all of a sudden I’ll be sitting there missing Kelly-Anne something terrible.
“Some women aren’t as lucky as I am and they can’t even get out of bed. However, I think Kelly-Anne’s legacy was to live, laugh and become adventurous. I have to believe that she didn’t die in vain and I have to believe I can help others with Kelly-Anne’s story. Conjugal violence is always something that stays silent, and since Kelly-Anne’s death, I’ve been able to reach three women who were in abusive relationships. Hopefully, someone else will be able to live because of Kelly-Anne’s death,” she said.
The International Women’s Day celebrations at John Abbott College, organized by the Women’s Studies and Gender Relations department will kick off March 7 at 2 p.m. in The Agora, located in the Casgrain building. The celebration will be led off by JAC grad and professional composer and singer Pamela Lamb and Drummond’s keynote address will follow. For more information, call 457-6610.
By MARC LALONDE
The Chronicle
Violence against women can and must be overcome if society is to have hope for the future, said the West Island co-ordinator of the Murdered and Missing Persons’ Families Association — a women who knows all too well the horrors conjugal violence can bring to a family.
Doreen Haddad Drummond, whose daughter Kelly-Anne was allegedly murdered by her live-in boyfriend Martin Morin-Cousineau in Oct. 2004, will be the keynote speaker at an International Women’s Day celebration to be held March 7 at John Abbott College in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.
“Every year we come up with a different theme for the celebration of International Women’s Day and this year it’s violence against women and what we can do to stop it,” said John Abbott College Women’s Studies and Gender Relations co-ordinator Vivianne Silver. “We’re trying to send a message of hope and we’re seeking to educate and sensitize the community to the damage conjugal violence can cause.”
Silver said there are no easy answers to predicting conjugal violence — “That’s a great question,” — but it starts with making men and women equal partners in relationships, she said. “We realize that nobody’s going anywhere without good men by our side, and my whole approach is not to disregard men, but rather to foster an approach to relationships where we really walk hand in hand.”
Doreen Haddad Drummond said her keynote address will focus on retaining hope and surviving, even in the face of horrific violence.
“Everyone gets through in a different way. I got through it knowing I had wonderful family and friends who were there for me and there’s been a lot of support. I have an incredible employer who is trying to understand what I’m going through and helps me to keep my mind occupied when I’m at work, but there’s always small things that happen and remind you, and all of a sudden I’ll be sitting there missing Kelly-Anne something terrible.
“Some women aren’t as lucky as I am and they can’t even get out of bed. However, I think Kelly-Anne’s legacy was to live, laugh and become adventurous. I have to believe that she didn’t die in vain and I have to believe I can help others with Kelly-Anne’s story. Conjugal violence is always something that stays silent, and since Kelly-Anne’s death, I’ve been able to reach three women who were in abusive relationships. Hopefully, someone else will be able to live because of Kelly-Anne’s death,” she said.
The International Women’s Day celebrations at John Abbott College, organized by the Women’s Studies and Gender Relations department will kick off March 7 at 2 p.m. in The Agora, located in the Casgrain building. The celebration will be led off by JAC grad and professional composer and singer Pamela Lamb and Drummond’s keynote address will follow. For more information, call 457-6610.
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