London man pleads not guilty in stabbing death of teenager
A London man has denied responsibility for the 2023 stabbing death of a 16-year-old, leaving his fate in the hands of a jury.
A London man has denied responsibility for the 2023 stabbing death of a 16-year-old, leaving his fate in the hands of a jury.
The Crown concluded its case Tuesday in the trial of Treyton Hoffman. Defence lawyer Lakin Afolabi chose not to call any evidence or have his client testify. Closing arguments proceeded Thursday and Friday.
McDonnell-Mills died of a stab wound to his femoral artery in August 2023 near King Edward Avenue. The court heard the accused and victim were acquaintances who had been spending time together the night of the killing.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Hoffman, the victim, and several others were drinking vodka, smoking cannabis, and hanging out at a home near Russell Avenue and Marlborough Street.
Jurors viewed a police interview recorded days after the incident, in which Hoffman told London police detective Tiffany Waque he had been drinking with several people, including McDonnell-Mills, but denied knowing what happened to the teen.
During the interview, Hoffman discussed his family, joked about his middle name, described designing cannabis bongs, and drinking with friends.
When Waque asked Hoffman if he understood why he was at police headquarters, he replied, “I don’t know. I honestly have no idea.”
Asked if he was among those who hurt 16-year-old Malik McDonnell-Mills, he quickly responded, “I didn’t touch him.”
Prosecutors allege Hoffman was part of a group involved in the altercation that led to McDonnell-Mills’s death and that, while he may not have wielded the knife, he was party to the offence.