A trial will continue Wednesday for a man charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a woman whose dismembered body was found behind an east-end butcher shop in April 2016.
Police previously confirmed that 30-year-old Melissa Cooper’s torso was found inside a garbage bag outside a Riverdale butcher shop on April 19, 2016.
Her body was discovered by an employee of the store, located near Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street.
Cooper had been reported missing several weeks earlier.
Months later, police charged 38-year-old Albert Ian Ohab in connection with her death and at his trial on Tuesday, Ohab took the stand in his own defence.
Ohab has denied killing Cooper but admits to dismembering and disposing of her body.
According to his testimony delivered Wednesday, the accused said the victim came to his place to borrow a crack pipe and she ultimately overdosed on crack cocaine in his apartment.
He testified that while the victim was doing drugs in his bathroom, he did heroin and passed out on his bed.
He claims when he woke up in the morning, he smelled vomit and found the lifeless body of the victim lying on the living room floor.
According to Ohab’s testimony, he tried to dump her body in a stairwell but he was startled by a neighbour. He then decided to dismember and dispose of Cooper’s body.
The trial is set to resume on Wednesday morning.
