Northern Ont. man acquitted of murder on James Bay coast
A northern Ontario family is devastated after a jury found a Moose Factory man not guilty of a 2021 murder.
Otis Faries, 34, was acquitted April 10 at the Cochrane courthouse following a trial that lasted nearly three weeks and revealed there was much more to the story.
Faries was 31 years old when he was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 58-year-old Gilbert Tomagatick in the small James Bay coast community of Moose Factory.
Nishnawbe-Aski Police found Tomagatick on Oct. 2, 2021, around 4:15 p.m. at a home on Sakabuskum Road with serious injuries after having been assaulted, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release days after it happened.
Police said he was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
A copy of the indictment obtained by CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca shows the charge against Faries was lowered to second-degree murder Jan. 17, 2023.
"I feel like I've been punched in the face," the victim's son, Gilbert Tomagatick Jr., told CTV News in a phone interview Friday following the verdict.
"I feel so angry."
Allegations of child luring
The victim's son said his father had been out all that day looking for "a fix" for his fentanyl addiction when an altercation escalated into accusations.
The day the assault took place, a complaint was made to police about the victim involving the alleged luring of a child, the court heard.
"In its closing address, the Crown suggested to the jury that the accused was angry and frustrated when interacting with the police, while they were investigating," defence attorney Sharon Sabourin said in a news release.
Tomagatick Jr. said his dad was "half cut" when he left to do his laundry around 4 p.m., right before the assault.
He said his father's addiction started with drinking after losing his wife in 2002 and then escalated into drugs after his sister died in 2016.
What police didn't say
There were a few key things that happened between the time of the assault and the time of death that were not mentioned in the original police news releases.
First, was when Tomagatick Sr. was taken to the hospital, he displayed signs of intoxication and was unable to sit still for a CT scan, so he was released without having the imaging test.
A little while later, he was arrested by NAPS for public intoxication at the baseball field and taken to jail.
"The officer testified that he had no intention of charging him, he was just doing this to try to get him somewhere he wouldn’t be getting in any more trouble, and for his own safety," Sabourin said.
Evidence from the civilian guard who supervised the victim in his cell for about five hours was read in court from the preliminary inquiry transcript.
A copy of the prisoner's report obtained by CTV News states Tomagatick Sr. was put in Cell 2 just after 7 p.m. and asked for an ambulance around 8 p.m. saying his rib was sore.
Minutes later, he fell off the bed and hit his head, the report said, followed by hitting his head twice on the door around 8:11 p.m.
Tomagatick Sr. then spent about 20 minutes kicking the wall and hitting the floor before appearing to fall asleep by the door.
The prisoner report notes he was lying on the floor and snoring loudly from 10 p.m. to about midnight.
At 12:14 a.m., the report noted blood on the floor of the jail cell, followed by EMS being called.
Tomagatick Jr. said the family was called to his dad's deathbed at the hospital to say their final goodbyes around 1 a.m.
"There was a forensic pathologist, Dr. Kona Williams, who testified at the trial and prepared a post-mortem report. Her findings were that the deceased died from blunt force impact," Sabourin said.
"There is an active complaint with the professional standards bureau of NAPS, which has been referred out for external investigation by Krista Kempster, a retired police officer who works as a senior investigator with Investigative Solutions Network Inc."
CTV News reached out to the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service for comment and was directed to the Ontario Provincial Police.
OPP has not responded to a request for comment.
"As this matter is within the appeal period, it would be inappropriate to comment," a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General told CTV News in an email.
Homicide acquittals rare
Sabourin told CTV News in an email that homicide acquittals are rare in Canada.
"Statistics Canada reports only 49 cases of adult homicide -- first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter and infanticide -- resulted in an acquittal in Canada in a five-year period between 2017/2018 and 2021/2022," she said.
"In Ontario, that number drops to three acquittals in adult homicide cases over the same five-year time period and compared to the 438 decisions rendered in homicide cases."
Hardworking father
Tomagatick Jr. said after his mother died, his dad had to play both parental roles for his three sons – two of whom were little when she passed.
The father worked three jobs to support his kids, including being a security guard, community support worker and fighting forest fires, he said.
Now the eldest son said he is trying to step into his father's shoes and be a father figure to his two younger brothers and bring stability to their lives.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.