A witness in the manslaughter trial of Mark Jayden Harrison and Aiden Matthew William Bell failed to show up to court to testify on Monday, July 29. The trial continues Tuesday with some of the victim's friends scheduled to testify. (File photo)

By Ian Holmes

manslaughter trial

Key Crown witness no-shows during Nanaimo manslaughter trial

Jul 30, 2024 | 5:23 AM

NANAIMO — A witness at the scene of a fatal stabbing on Nanaimo’s waterfront failed to testify as scheduled at an ongoing high-profile jury trial.

BC Supreme Court Justice Robin Baird informed the 12-member jury on Monday, July 29 that steps were being taken to locate the witness and have her appear in court in relation to the homicide of 29-year-old Fred Parsons.

A publication ban was approved by the judge to protect the witness’s identity if she tells her side of the story.

Mark Jayden Harrison, 21 and Aiden Matthew William Bell, 20, are both charged with manslaughter in relation to the death of Parsons, who was stabbed to death at the Maffeo Sutton Park playground late on the evening of Sept. 5, 2022.

The case was adjourned early on Monday due to the witness not attending.

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Mutual friends of Parson’s are expected to testify on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, two Crown witnesses addressed the court, including Kiana Marcoux, who was with Harrison and Bell before the incident.

While meeting up with a group of people at the parkade at the base of Wharf St., Marcoux said Harrison was carrying bear spray, while someone whom she couldn’t recall in the group was waving around a knife.

“I believe Jayden (alias for Mark Harrison) had bear mace on him and there was a knife that was swung around, but I’m not sure if that belonged to Aiden, Jayden or someone else.”

Following a confrontation between Harrison and a security guard, Marcoux said Harrison and Bell ran off toward the Coast Bastion Inn out of fear the police would show up.

Under cross-examination, Marcoux was questioned about seeing someone in the group holding a knife, with defence attorney Kendra Waugh flagging a statement the woman made to police in the parkade.

“I didn’t see anyone else with weapons,” Marcoux said at the time, who was asked if other weapons beyond bear spray were seen.

Earlier in the day a security guard testified about a confrontation he had with a man Marcoux identified as Harrison in the parkade.

Harrison was holding a bottle of liquor at the time in which the security guard perceived was a potential threat to his safety.

“He said to me ‘that bottle is not the deal, the deal is in the bag.’”

Several minutes later the security guard was informed by a Nanaimo RCMP officer investigating the disturbance at the parkade that a fatal stabbing had occurred at Maffeo Sutton Park.

Nanaimo RCMP previously stated bear spray was used during a fatal interaction between two groups of people at Maffeo Sutton Park.

A forensic specialist with Nanaimo RCMP earlier testified that fingerprints could not be lifted from a knife found at the murder scene and bear spray located in a backpack found in the ocean nearby.

A butterfly knife found on Bell after his initial arrest was also examined by the specialist, with no blood found.

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes