The defence cross-examining the third person accused in the death of Ryan Sugar on Tuesday.

Jessica Pangman took the stand on Monday in the first-degree murder trial of Colinda Hotomanie and Gregory Wolfe.

Sugar’s body was found in a burnt out house on McTavish Street in North Central Regina in October 2016, one week after a fire on October 5.

Hotomanie, Wolfe, and Jessica Pangman were all charged with first-degree murder in Sugar’s death in December of 2016.

Pangman, who is also Hotomanie’s niece, will be tried at a later date in connection with the case.

Pangman testified Monday the fire happened at her house. She also said Wolfe and Sugar got into a fight on the night of the fire because Pangman believed Sugar had sexually assaulted her and Hotomanie. She also believed Sugar was HIV positive.

Pangman testified Tuesday that she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she was first interviewed by police. She also told court she thought Sugar put a date rape drug in her drink on the night of the fire, because she doesn’t usually fall asleep after heavy drinking.

Pangman also said she believed Sugar was alive when she left the burning house, and that she believed he left the house after she did.

She went on to say that she went back to the house later that evening, and that it hadn’t burned at that point. She said the power was out, and the back bedroom was smoky, but that the house was still standing. She said she couldn’t see much because the power was out, but she did not see Sugar inside the house.

After Pangman’s cross examination wrapped up, the Crown called another witness to the stand. The name of the witness is protected by a publication ban.

The witness told the court that he saw Sugar two times on October 4, both times to sell him drugs. The second time was at the home of Pangman.

He testified that several people were at the house at the time, including Sugar, Hotomanie and Pangman.

The witness told court he left the house after the drug transaction was completed, but that he saw Pangman and Wolfe walking on Elphinstone Street three or four hours later, and offered them a ride.

He said he asked the two how their night had been, at which point he said Wolfe said “[Sugar] skinned Jessica and I had to take care of him.” The witness said “what do you mean?” The witness said Wolfe said “I killed him.”

He testified that the three of them went back to the house to look for Sugar. He said at that point it did not appear that there had been a fire at the house, and Wolfe and Pangman went inside the inside. They came out a few minutes later and said they couldn’t see anything inside the house because the power was out.

The witness continued on saying that he and Pangman returned to the house the next morning. The house was burned and boarded up, and there was a news crew on scene.

The witness then testified that he was in the Regina remand centre in the summer of 2017 when he found himself in the same cellblock as Wolfe.

He said Wolfe asked him to tell police that he had not seen Wolfe at the scene, and that Pangman and Hotomanie had killed Sugar.

He also said Wolfe told him other details about the night of the fire, including that he had turned on the stove elements and the oven before he left the house.

 

CTV Regina’s Karyn Mulcahy is at the courthouse.