Woman on trial for manslaughter of mother in suspected elder abuse case testifies - BERITAJA

Eva Samonas, 73, took the guidelines successful her ain defence Tuesday sobbing astatine times.

The erstwhile University Health Network (UHN) clerical worker, connected proceedings for manslaughter for failing to supply the necessities of life and criminal negligence causing the decease of her 96-year-old mother, has pleaded not guilty.

Samonas testified she moved into her mother’s Broadview and O’Connor Avenue location successful early 2020 having conscionable taken an early status package from UHN. She said she was concerned about her mother being unsocial fixed her declining wellness and was her full-time superior caregiver, testifying her relative was not willing successful being responsible for their mother.

On Jan. 6, 2024, constabulary were called to Michael Garron Hospital aft paramedics reported a suspected elder abuse situation.

Paramedic Tim Driver has already testified that he and his partner responded to a aesculapian telephone astatine 1210 Broadview Ave. about noon that day.

When they arrived, Driver said they recovered an “incredibly sick” aged female who was naked, sitting connected the level successful the surviving room and propped up against a couch. The paramedic said location was visible hoarding, which made it difficult to entree the home.

He besides testified the diligent was sitting connected feces and was soaked pinch urine. The paramedic besides said location was a ample ulcer sore connected her back.

Driver said Samonas, who was the patient’s daughter, told him she called 911 because her mother was not responding normally. She besides reported that her mother had fallen 3 days earlier.

Samonas was arrested successful infirmary that time and charged pinch criminal negligence causing bodily harm. Her mother, 96-year-old Vasiliki Atanasovski, died successful infirmary the pursuing time and the charges were upgraded to manslaughter.

A forensic pathologist has testified her origin of decease was complications from prolonged immobility.

In 2017, Samonas said her mother fell and collapsed a hip. She believed her mother began suffering from dementia about that time, but said her mother’s expert told her dementia was a earthy point for personification her property and said he didn’t judge successful medicine for dementia.

Samonas testified that connected Jan. 4, 2024, she accompanied her mother to the washroom and near her there. She said erstwhile her mother came out, she fell connected the level successful the surviving room adjacent the couch.

Samonas told the tribunal she noticed her mother didn’t person her pajamas connected truthful she put her mom connected the sofa and went to the washroom wherever she recovered the pajamas, which were soiled. When Samonas returned, she said her mother was backmost connected the floor.

She testified that for 3 days she couldn’t get her mother disconnected the floor, contempt repeated attempts. She besides said she called her relative many times and begged him to travel complete and thief her get their mother disconnected his floor.

She testified her relative said he couldn’t help, because he had a sore back.

The 73-year-old testified she didn’t telephone 911 sooner because she thought her mother would get up connected her ain aft giving her thing to eat. She said she fed her toast, beverage and macaroni and food but noticed the pursuing day, she wasn’t eating, only drinking.

Samonas said the time aft the fall, she tried to put “Depends” connected her mother, who was still sitting connected the level but couldn’t get them on. Samonas said she noticed her mother had urinated connected the floor. She testified she tried to cleanable the level and her mother utilizing babe wipes.

The pursuing day, Samonas said she decided to telephone 911 connected Saturday aft noticing her mother was cold, her knee was swollen and she was mumbling.

“I noticed thing was wrong; she wasn’t speaking normally,” said Samonas, who denied seeing an ulcer sore connected her mother’s back. “If I had noticed, I would person done more.”

When defence lawyer Aaron Wine asked Samonas really she recovered retired her mother had died, she began to cry, saying she was still successful custody.

“I kept asking them, ‘How is she doing? How is my mom? Can I spell spot her?’ And they didn’t show me,” Samonas said.

She added she only later learned aft a constabulary serviceman came to her door, saying that contempt calling Michael Garron Hospital 10 to 15 times,  nary 1 would springiness her immoderate information.

Samonas, who is self-represented, was questioned by Wine who is acting arsenic her amicus, aliases friend of the court. When Wine asked her about her upbringing, she described surviving successful a cluttered location pinch her mother and brother.

Samonas said increasing up, their location was rather messy and she was embarrassed to person friends travel in. At the location connected Broadview Avenue, wherever she testified she lived pinch her mother, she said she tried to cleanable things up.

“She ever had a instrumentality by her broadside and she would deed maine pinch it,” Samonas testified, calling it difficult to unrecorded there.

Wine asked Samonas if she ever considered getting thief pinch her mother.

“She wouldn’t let them in,” Samonas said, describing her mother arsenic being paranoid and upset if personification came to the door.

During cross-examination, Crown lawyer Christine Jenkins asked about a number of incidents successful which Samonas’ mother had walked away.

In October 2017, she said constabulary were called aft her mother knocked connected someone’s doorway and past successful April 2018, Atanasovski was taken to emergency room astatine Michael Garron Hospital connected her ain aft she sewage lost.

Jenkins asked if she remembered speaking to a expert about her resources for her mother’s dementia aliases Alzheimer’s.

“Yes I retrieve she wasn’t that bad,” Samonas replied.

Jenkins asked why mother hadn’t been seen by a aesculapian master since May 2022 erstwhile she was admitted to infirmary aft getting mislaid successful the backyard for about six hours.

“Your mother getting mislaid successful the backyard for six hours, you don’t see that a superior diminution successful intelligence health?” asked Jenkins.

Samonas agreed it is bad. Jenkins pressed her connected why location was nary scheme successful spot to reside the Alzheimer’s aliases dementia.

Samonas said she was successful complaint of her needs including cleaning, cooking and her mother’s hygiene.

“Hygiene was hard. I couldn’t get her to bathe,” she said, saying she took her to the location wherever she utilized to unrecorded pinch her relative a fewer times for a bath.

Jenkins said successful 2022, successful hospital, she reported her mother had been reluctant to ablution for astatine slightest a year.

“I did my champion to cleanable her,” she explained, saying she would usage a sponge.

“We’ve seen photographs of the bathtub. It was afloat of stuff,” said Jenkins, who suggested aft seeing photographs of the clutter and filth successful the kitchen, it wasn’t a safe spot for a 96-year-old female to live. Samonas replied that often she sewage basking nutrient from Sobeys.

When Jenkins asked wherever they slept, Samonas said she and her mother some slept connected the sofa successful the surviving room, her mother’s feet connected a chair.

Jenkins past pointed retired that 3 people, including her brother, had urged Samonas to telephone an ambulance aft proceeding she couldn’t get her mother up disconnected the level connected Jan. 4 and Jan. 5.

“At that point, I didn’t deliberation it was really superior because she was laughing and singing, but I didn’t want her connected the level each night,” said Samonas, who repeated that her mother was petrified of going to hospital.

“I was reasoning to telephone but she wasn’t successful distress. That’s the logic I didn’t,” Samonas explained, who testified she thought her mother would yet get up connected her ain arsenic she had done before.

“Is it your grounds she intentionally sat connected the floor?” Jenkins asked.

“She wanted to beryllium connected the level and aft a fewer hours, I said it’s clip for her to get up and she refused,” Samonas said.

Jenkins asked Samonas why she told constabulary successful an question and reply aft her apprehension why she said it was a large correction connected her portion that she didn’t telephone 911 sooner. Samonas said she didn’t cognize why she said that because until Saturday, she testified her mother seemed “fine.”

“You called erstwhile it was excessively late, Ms. Samonas,” Jenkins suggested.

Closing arguments are scheduled for later this week.