EDMONTON — A man accused of killing a woman who was found dead in a bathtub in his Edmonton hotel room says he lied to a number of people before his arrest.
Bradley Barton, who is 52 and from Mississauga, Ontario, is testifying for a second day in his manslaughter trial.
He has pleaded not guilty to killing Cindy Gladue, a 36-year-old Metis and Cree woman, at the Yellowhead Inn in June 2011.
Barton told the jury that he lied to nearly everyone, including police, hotel employees and colleagues, about how he knew Gladue,
His lawyer has told the jury Barton was worried about losing his job and his wife and two sons would find out he had paid Gladue for sex at the hotel.
Medical experts previously testified Gladue suffered from a severe wound to her vagina and bled to death.
This is the second trial for Barton in relation to Gladue’s death. His first trial in 2015 sparked rallies and calls for justice for Indigenous women. The case ended up before the Supreme Court of Canada. The high court ordered in 2019 that Barton be retried.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2021.
The Canadian Press