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Accused tells court it was self-defence

Jessica Gray
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 13/06) - A Yellowknife resident accused of stabbing a 19-year-old in a scuffle outside his former home last year told a courtroom Tuesday, that he feared for his life when he reached for a knife tucked in his belt.

"I was afraid for my life at the top of the stairs," said Jean Rene Samuel (Sam) Perrino, describing his emotional state just before he locked arms with Grant Pidborochynski and swung his knife at the man.

Perrino told the court he pulled out the knife he was carrying on his belt during a pause in a fight when Pidborochynski, now 20, began to threaten him and his family - all of whom were present at the time of the incident.

The prominent Yellowknife musher, admitted he struck out with the knife at least three times. Three slash marks were found on a sweater identified as Pidborochynski's.

He is charged with aggravated assault. His case, which began last Wednesday, is being tried in territorial Supreme Court.

The events of June 19, 2005 began when Perrino, his wife, and visiting neighbours heard a group of five young men making loud noises outside his former Kam Lake residence.

Friends of Pidborochynski told the 11-person jury they were looking for a place to wreck an old car somewhere out beyond Deh Cho Blvd. when the car stalled near Perrino's home.

Most of the noise came as Pidborochynski's younger brother was smashing a truck into the stopped car.

Perrino said he yelled at the group and came out to take their licence plate numbers so he could call the police.

One of the young men, who was 19 at the time, approached the residence after the accused went back inside the house, and according to Perrino, entered the house uninvited via the front door while he was on the phone to police.

A fight began between the two men, which moved outside onto the deck where Perrino was pulled off the man by Pidborochynski, leading to another fist fight between Perrino and the victim.

Pidborochynski testified that he told Perrino "I'm f-king out of here," and bent down to grab his hat and leave when he was stabbed.

Perrino said the fight appeared to be over when Pidborochynski began to threaten him saying, "You're dead, I'm going to f-king kill you and your family."

It was at this time Perrino said he took his folding knife out of its case and flicked it open.

In his testimony, Perrino said Pidborochynski came at him again and that's when he swung at Pidborochynski at least three times.

Perrino said he didn't see any blood on the knife and wasn't sure if he had actually stabbed him.

It wasn't until he was arrested later that he found out Pidborochynski was in serious condition with a gaping, jagged wound to his abdomen.

The young man's pancreas and two arteries were severed and his stomach lining torn.

Pidborochynski was medevaced to Edmonton to undergo life-saving surgery. Doctors had to cut a track along his chest to repair his injuries.

"I felt horrible," said Perrino, when learning about Pidborochynski's injuries.

The incident lasted approximately two minutes and 45 seconds - about the time that elapsed between the two RCMP calls Perrino made that night just after 7 p.m.

The RCMP did not arrive until after the fight ended and the young men had left the area, carrying the victim with them.

Submissions from the crown and defence are likely to be heard this morning.