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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 13, 2007 - 7 Jury to decide: perfect crime or tragedy Continued from page 1 George told the Milton court when he took the stand earlier he caused his 31year-old sister's death while restraining her with an arm around her neck as she was attacking him and reaching for knives. Crown attorney Andrew Goodman told jurors Tuesday Helen was "choked and strangled" and that "the pressure on her neck was more than restraining." "The accused intended to kill," he said. "He killed her and then destroyed the evidence. Helen would never been seen again." Seventy five per cent of the body is missing ­ including her neck, Goodman pointed out ­ and an autopsy failed to determine the cause of death. Less than an hour after Helen's death, George went to Home Depot to buy a hacksaw to dismember her body, and to No Frills for kitty litter to conceal the smell. The jury was shown graphic videos of Helen's skull being removed from a plastic bag in the freezer, a maggot-infested bath tub with kitty litter, clothing and human remains, and parts of scalp, hair and a human ear in the kitchen sink. "Mr. Arsoniadis wanted to conceal what happened," O'Marra told the jury. "Even though he was defending himself, he felt guilty." Arsoniadis, a tall, lean man with dark hair who stands about 6-foot tall, stared ahead, showing no emotion yesterday. Goodman contends George was "vague" about the details of July 3, 2005, and had "more than one version" of the fight that ensued with his sister, suggesting he was "contradictory, self serving, changing his story and illogical." The jury had heard Helen had a history of violence, including a charge of assault on her mother, and also told psychiatrists she wanted to kill her mom and sister. O'Marra recounted for the jury how George testified the fight began when Helen realized her futon didn't fit in the den of the one-bedroom apartment they'd just moved into from Etobicoke. George told the court Helen's stay would be temporary until she found another place. That's when Helen tried to attack George in his bedroom with a solid marble apple, either ready to throw it at him or hit him with it, the defence lawyer said. The apple grazed George's head despite his attempt to defend himself, O'Marra recounted, and "they fell to the floor. Helen had fallen face first." That's when she began to reach for a box of unpacked kitchen knives. "He squeezed her neck" for less than 30 seconds while trying to hold her back, O'Marra said, and "was telling Helen to stop it, stop it. He felt Helen was either going to kill him or seriously injure him." Then, Helen went limp. Not knowing CPR or first aid, several minutes later George dragged Helen to the bath tub to splash water on her face "with any hope that this might revive her," O'Marra said. Goodman told the jury most people would try CPR at this point, or call the police, a friend, or yell for help. "Mr. Arsoniadis did not one thing of that, nothing of that we expect someone to do," the Crown attorney said. "His first thought is to conceal the body. Someone that you love and it was an accident." Goodman said he didn't believe George's testimony that Helen was reaching for knives in the bedroom while attacking him, evidence George didn't mention in another accounts of the fight. "Why does he have you believe that?" Goodman asked. "Because a stone apple is not enough for self defence." The Crown contended this was "the perfect crime," because no one in Oakville knew Helen or George, a notion the defence attorney called "absurd" since friends and George's former landlord knew they were moving to Oakville. Much of the trial has seen witnesses ­ including Anastasia Stevenson, the oldest Arsoniadis sibling who attended the defence's closing statement yesterday ­ testify about Helen's character and her violent behaviour. O'Marra said it was not the defence's intention to present Helen as "deserving of punishment." "George testified that 90 per cent of the time, Helen was fine. He testified that he loved her. Does this sound like someone who has a motive for murder?" O'Marra challenged Goodman's opening statement that Helen was a woman with "minor personality difficulties" and brought up earlier testimony from former neighbours who could hear Helen yelling at George, and testimony from a woman at a shelter who said she saw Helen beat another woman. He went on to describe how Helen once assaulted her mother and was charged, but attended a Mental Health Diversion program so the charge was stayed. Goodman said while the defence presented Helen as "an ogre" who assaulted family members and verbally abused George in particular, "that doesn't justify what happened on July 3, 2005." "To attack the character, the nature of someone who's not here, who can't defend themselves. Who speaks for the deceased?" Goodman told the jury that not once did it come out that Helen threatened to kill George in the testimony they heard. "The accused never said Helen threatened me, attacked me, I fear her, police have to get involved," Goodman said. Justice John Sproat will finish his charge today to jury members and their deliberations will begin. SERVICE EXCELLENCE DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB AWARD WINNER ONTARIO'S #1 RANKED CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP JEEP PATRIOT HELD OVER! 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