By: Jesse Caplan
Ex-lover of murder victim speaks out in court.
Outside the Toronto Courtroom on Friday Dec, 1. (Jesse Caplan/ RSJ)
The trial continued Friday morning in the case of 49-year-old Allen Lanteigne, who was found murdered in his home back in March of 2011.
The Crown began by calling upon one of Lanteigne’s former lovers and longtime friend, Jarvis Belding. Belding said that Lanteigne had been his first and only partner and that the two continued a close friendship long after their romantic relationship ended.
Belding also testified to the status of Lanteigne’s relationship with Toronto lawyer, Demitri Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, Lanteigne’s husband at the time of his murder. Papasotiriou is one of two men charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lanteigne. Both he and co-defendant Michael Ivezic have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors have made allegations that Papasotiriou was having an affair with Ivezic at the time of the murder, according to reports by the Toronto Star.
Belding said that Lanteigne never spoke of separating from Papasotiriou. He admitted that he had sent Lanteigne emails “prodding” him to divorce Papasotiriou, but that Lanteigne himself had never asked him to send the information.
Papasotiriou sat quietly in the courtroom during the cross-examination. He has decided to represent himself in the case. The trial is still ongoing.
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