A Saskatoon man on trial for killing his roommate took the witness stand, denying he consumed magic mushrooms before the homicide.
Steffen Pohl was found dead inside his Idylwyld Drive North home on Jan. 30, 2023.
Nader Butter, Pohl’s roommate, pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Butter was impaired by alcohol and magic mushrooms when he killed Pohl with a hammer, according to an agreed statement of facts.
On Thursday, Butter testified at a sentencing hearing to decide whether he voluntarily took magic mushrooms (psilocybin).
“I have never done drugs my whole life,” Butter testified.
“I don’t know, to this day, what mushrooms look like — other than the grocery store mushrooms.”
Hours before Pohl’s death, the roommates were drinking and hanging out, court heard
Ahbay Singh, the third roommate at the Idylwyld Drive North home, testified that he saw Pohl take a bag of magic mushrooms out of his backpack.
He said he saw the open bag of magic mushrooms on the table, but did not witness Pohl or Butter consume the drugs.
Butter, who identified himself as an alcoholic, testified that alcohol “does nothing” to him — but said the night of Jan. 29, 2023, was different.
He described his surroundings as blurry and wavy, calling it an “altered reality,” and said he couldn’t remember key moments from the night.
At 10:30 p.m., Pohl called 911, stating that he had given his roommate magic mushrooms and that his roommate was trying to murder him.
The defence inferred Pohl may have given Butter mushrooms without his knowledge.
“Mr. Butter did not voluntarily or knowingly consume these drugs,” defence lawyer Chris Murphy argued.
The Crown bears the burden of proving, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Butter willingly consumed magic mushrooms on Jan. 29 or 30, 2023.
Insufficient evidence to prove Butter took drugs, judge decides
“The evidence just is not there,” Justice Natasha Crooks ruled.
“I cannot say how he consumed them … it may have been voluntarily, it may have been involuntarily.”
In her decision, Crooks rejected Butter’s evidence.
“He’s acknowledged having no memory,” Crooks said.
The judge also pointed out a discrepancy between Butter and Singh’s testimony regarding a discussion about magic mushrooms when Pohl took them out of his backpack.
Justice Crooks said she accepts Singh’s version.
“And that gives me pause in accepting Mr. Butter’s evidence as a whole, because he would have had a memory at that point,” Crooks said.
The Crown’s failure to prove that Butter voluntarily consumed magic mushrooms will factor into the judge’s sentencing decision, set for June 24.
