Ray Newman had never given a statement to the police, or had very much contact with them.

But that would change dramatically on the night of Jan. 21, 2007.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary questioned Newman, then 29, in a room at police headquarters known as “The Parlour.”

Officers asked him about the death of his estranged wife, Chrissy Predham Newman. She had been found dead at her Airport Heights home earlier that day — stabbed, her throat cut.

That lengthy interview had many tense exchanges:

Officer: "You were there when Chrissy died?"

Newman: "That's bullshit. I was not."

Officer: "Yes, yes you were."

Supreme Court Justice James Adams would later rule that Newman was "targeted ... as a person of interest."

The judge said Newman’s rights were violated, and the statement he gave to police was not voluntary.

Newman was acquitted of second-degree murder after almost all of the Crown’s evidence was excluded.

That lengthy police interview with Newman [excerpts above] the night of his estranged wife’s death played a key role in the judge’s decision to toss out other evidence.

That included other evidence later gathered with search warrants.