Cross-examination wraps up in Rahman case
CBC News
Posted: Jan 5, 2012 10:42 PM AT
Last Updated: Jan 5, 2012 10:40 PM AT
Cross-examination has wrapped up in the case of Ashiqur Rahman, charged in the death of his seven-week-old baby daughter. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)
Cross-examination has wrapped up in the case of a Halifax man charged in the death of his seven-week-old baby daughter.
Ashiqur Rahman, 26, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault in the July 27, 2009, death of Aurora Breakthrough.
In Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Thursday — the third day of Rahman's testimony — Crown lawyer Mark Heerema said he tried to show inconsistencies in Rahman's testimony.
"Ultimately, whether he's been found to be lying, that's for the court to decide," Heerema told reporters outside the courtroom.
While Rahman was on the stand, Heerema asked him why he told a doctor before Aurora's death that a change in formula, the mother's rocking of the baby and her decision to take the child outside in a stroller may have caused the baby's brain damage.
"Aren't those three explanations completely ridiculous?" Heerema asked.
Rahman said he was simply trying to come up with possibilities that might help the doctor and it was all he could think of on the day Aurora was admitted to a Halifax hospital.
"I gave whatever information I could," he said.
"I didn't know whether it would be useful to him."
Aurora died several days later at the IWK Health Centre.
Heerema told the Nova Scotia Supreme Court that Rahman offered the explanations because he knew his rough handling of the child caused the injuries, an accusation Rahman has repeatedly denied in his testimony.
Heerema said one example of an inconsistency in testimony came when Rahman told the court on Thursday that Aurora cried a normal amount and not loudly.
The Crown then played a video recording showing Rahman telling police, "She freaked out a lot."
Later in the recording, he also said, "She used to cry very loud. That was a … problem."
Heerema told reporters that many of the Crown's questions were intended to show that Rahman may not be credible in his version of events.
"At various times today we made reference to Mr. Rahman's police interview, and in particular focusing on the presentation of Aurora and just prior to her admission into hospital," he said.
"We felt that there was a different version of events given shortly after she was admitted to hospital than the version of events given by Mr. Rahman in this proceeding, in this court and the Crown is simply attempting to establish this."
Donald Murray, Rahman's lawyer, said his client was a proud father.
"We also dealt with the issues of whether Mr. Rahman was proud of being a father. Indeed he was," Murray told reporters.
"Don't suggest — as the Crown did — that he didn't really want to be associated with this baby because that was not true."
The case will be back in court on Jan. 24 to set dates for closing arguments.
With files from The Canadian PressShare Tools
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