‘I killed my best friend’: Accused testifies that he didn’t intend to kill former girlfriend in murder trial

During his third day on the stand, David Yates maintained that he never intended to kill his former girlfriend, Caitlin Jennings. CTV’s Reta Ismail reports.

For the third day in a row, 53-year-old David Yates continued testifying about the volatile relationship he had with his former girlfriend, 22-year-old Caitlin Jennings.

Proceedings began with defence lawyer Cassandra DeMelo continuing her examination, focusing on nearly a dozen notebook entries Yates made in the days following Jennings’ death.

One entry read, “The reality is setting in; I killed my best friend.”

Graphic images depicting bruising to Jennings’ face, legs and arms were entered as exhibits.

When asked about the injuries, Yates testified, “I was trying to get her off of me, and she was kicking at me. Like I said, I was just trying to get her off. She wasn’t stopping.”

Yates maintained that Jennings had physically attacked him on several occasions during arguments, often related to her sexual history.

The events at the centre of the case unfolded between July 2-3, 2023, at a residence on Kingsway Avenue in London.

The court has heard Yates struck Jennings with a hammer in what he claims was self-defence.

He testified he did not realize the extent of her injuries when she later went to lie down. Yates told the court he then went to the garage to listen to music and use drugs. When he returned, he said Jennings was unresponsive.

Several days later, London police arrived at the home and found Jennings dead. An autopsy revealed Jennings suffered more than 200 injuries and died from multiple blunt-force trauma injuries.

Yates was arrested at the scene and has pled not guilty to second-degree murder.

Before concluding his testimony, Yates told the court, “I never meant to kill anyone. The thought never entered my head. I never gave it a thought. I was just trying to get her off of me. I did not know those injuries were life-threatening at all.”

The Crown is expected to begin its cross-examination Monday in St. Thomas.