CALGARY — One of two men accused in the killing of a popular Calgary chef continued to tell a trial Wednesday that he has no memory of stabbing the victim.
Anthony Dodgson and Tommie Holloway have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Christophe Herblin on March 14, 2020.
Herblin was a longtime executive sous chef at the Glencoe Golf and Country Club and his new restaurant was weeks away from opening.
Court has heard that he went to his business in the middle of the night after an alarm went off and he remained there after officers had cleared the scene. Police said it appeared someone was trying to bust through a wall to an adjacent cannabis shop.
Dodgson, who is accused of stabbing Herblin nine times in a parking lot outside the businesses, said under cross-examination that he remembered running toward Herblin and there was a scuffle, but doesn't recall anything more.
He blamed it on excessive drug and alcohol use.
Dodgson also testified that a friend told him later that day that someone had died at a gas station. The trial has heard that Herblin, after he was stabbed, managed to walk to a nearby gas station for help, but later died.
"You have remembered running at somebody in that area earlier that morning and having an altercation with that person earlier that morning. So when your friend tells you somebody died there, what comes to mind?" asked prosecutor Carla MacPhail.
"Oh (expletive). Did I kill this guy?" Dodgson replied.
"Did you kill that guy?"
"I'm not too sure," he said.
MacPhail continued to question how much Dodgson actually remembered and suggested the two accused grew frustrated about what to do with Herblin.
"You were frustrated because you had been unable to break in to a weed shop late that night and now this guy was there," said MacPhail.
"You thought that guy in the parking lot would have keys. If he resisted, you were going to stab him."
"No," replied Dodgson.
Dodgson also said that after his arrest he gave police Holloway's name as a second suspect.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2022.
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
