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Defence rests in Virk murder case

A P Kamath

As the final phase of one of the most distressing and highly publicised cases in north America approached its end, the defence for Kelly Ellard, the 17 year old who is charged with killing 14-year-old Reena Virk more than two years ago, ended its case. The final arguments could begin early next week.

The attorney for Ellard produced a witness who testified that a boy, Warren Glowatski, convicted in Reena's murder, had told a fellow inmate that if Ellard could be blamed for the crime, everyone else would go free.

Seven girls and the boy were charged in Reena's murder which began as a teasing incident, not too far from their school in Victoria. Ellard had told the court that though she beat Reena, she did not push her under the water; she had, in fact, tried to scare away the other girls who were beating Reena, Ellard added.

The witness who took the stand on Thursday gave vivid testimony.

''He (Glowatski) said they were going to pin it on Kelly Ellard and that if they all did that and got their stories straight they'd be released,'' she said. She was in the same youth detention center as Glowatski.

''He said they didn't have witnesses but they had money and he offered me $ 3,000 to tell lawyers and (police) officers that Kelly admitted she killed Reena.''

But Crown counsel Ruth Picha sought to discount the witness's testimony.

''I'll suggest to you that Warren Glowatski was 16 years old... that his parents had essentially abandoned him... that his mother was an alcoholic and he had no money,'' Picha said.

Ellard's stepmother testified last, recalling the day of the attack. She, of course did not know what had happened and that Reena Virk had been drowned.

But she remembered Kelly coming home late into the night. .

''I said 'How was your night?' and she said, 'Fine,' '' Karen Ellard testified.

''I said 'What did you do?' and she said, 'I was just hanging out with my friends.' ''

Karen Ellard said after Kelly was arrested the next month, she (Karen) went down to the scene of the murder and walked into the water up to her waist, then walked home. The walk took about 20 minutes.

She said her legs were bright red with cold and she was shivering. She did not remember her stepdaughter shivering the night of the murder, she added.

Karen Ellard admitted Kelly's shoes were wet the night of Reena's death, but her own were more than wet after being immersed in the water.

''They had seaweed and silt and mud all over them,'' she said.

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