Jury considers case of mother charged with killing infant son
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | 9:05 AM CT
CBC News
The fate of a Winnipeg mother accused of killing one of her newborn triplets now lies in the hands of a jury.
Michelle Camire, 25, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter in the death of Michael Helgason, one of her three-month-old triplets. The boy died of head injuries in October 2004.
Defence lawyer Rod Brecht closed his final address in a Winnipeg courtroom Monday by playing an emotional portion of a videotaped statement Camire gave police in the hours after her son's death.
In the video, police officers leave Camire alone in an interview room for a few moments.
She carefully folds a blanket she's been wearing around her shoulders and places it on the floor. She then kneels on the blanket, folds her hands in prayer, and sobs: "Oh dear Lord, please forgive me … I am so sorry."
Brecht suggested there is reasonable doubt as to whether Camire intentionally tried to hurt the child.
He said any parent who throws a child down into a bed or couch or bassinette in a moment of frustration could also be guilty.
Crown attorney Brian Bell referred to Camire's 911 call, which was played for the jury last week.
Bell said Camire's responsibility in the boy's death was clear when she admitted in the call that she had been "tired and frustrated and … slammed him down" into his bassinette.
The Crown has alleged Camire slammed the child's head into a bassinette, then called for help two hours later when she found him unresponsive.
