John Christopher Arrizza, 24, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Banff native Ethan Enns-Goneau
Banff murder suspect John Christopher Arrizza was displaying such odd behaviour in the hours leading up to him fatally stabbing a man that his roommates felt like they had to babysit him, court heard Wednesday.
Zachary Laivovitz testified at Arrizza’s Calgary Court of King’s Bench trial that he appeared intoxicated, but he didn’t know on what.
“He was just a mess that day,” Laivovitz told defence lawyer Katherin Beyak.
“It really felt like we were taking care of a child,” he said, of himself and fellow roommate Blake Moore.
Laivovitz said he had convinced his former high school acquaintance to move to Banff from Ontario about two months earlier when a room came open in their house.
But he said Arrizza’s behaviour did not sit well with any of the other people living in the home.
“We planned to kick him out because he was being really destructive,” Laivovitz said.
Arrizza, 24, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Enns-Goneau, who was repeatedly stabbed by Arrizza in the washroom of the Dancing Sasquatch bar and the hallway just outside.
Enns-Goneau was attacked shortly after midnight on Aug. 5, 2022.
Moore said when he first saw Arrizza the morning of Aug. 4, around 10:30 or 11 a.m., it looked as if the accused had been up all night.
Arrizza was “out of it all day,” he told jurors.
Under cross-examination by Crown prosecutor Ron Simenik, Moore said while Arrizza appeared intoxicated, he “could hold his own.”
“I would say slurring (his words), I wouldn’t say incoherent.”
“What about dazed and confused?” Simenik asked.
“I’d say slightly,” Moore replied.
The witness said Arrizza left the home around 11:30 or midnight on Aug. 4, leading into Aug. 5.
He said it would have been obvious to anyone that his roommate was intoxicated and acknowledged he said at the preliminary inquiry he should not have been out in public.
“You don’t think he was putting on any act?” Simenik asked.
“I don’t believe so,” Moore said.
The prosecutor also asked Laivovitz whether he felt his roommate was at risk by going out shortly before Enns-Goneau’s killing.
“Did you have any concerns about him leaving the house in the condition he was that night?” Simenik asked.
“No major concerns, like anything too crazy, he was just like intoxicated.”
Jurors could begin deliberations on the trial as early as Thursday.