Victim’s daughter questioned at Champagne murder trial

Natasha Thompson was shot 10 times on her neighbour’s doorstep following argument in November 2017

As Hana Thompson lay on her bed, scrolling Instagram and starting to fall asleep, she overheard snippets of her mom, Natasha, and her boyfriend Mark Champagne arguing.

Then she heard the gunshots.

The now 20-year-old was questioned on her memory from that day — Nov. 6, 2017 — in court Wednesday during the second day of Champagne’s second-degree murder trial.

He’s accused of killing Natasha, who was shot 10 times on her neighbour’s doorstep.

Hana previously told the jury that Champagne was controlling, and that he and her mother argued often during their five-month relationship. She said that, on that afternoon, Natasha said she was getting an abortion and was leaving him.

After hearing the gunshots, Hana looked out the window and said she saw Champagne running away.

Champagne has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, but guilty to the lesser included offence of manslaughter. The Crown rejected that plea.

Champagne is self-represented, however, given the fact that Hana was just 16 when her mom was killed, the court asked lawyer Nicole Rozier, acting as amicus for Champagne, to do the crossexamination.

Rozier questioned Hana about her mom, including how she worked security at after-hours bars and that’s where she met Champagne. She asked about her mom drinking with Champagne, other men her mom knew and the timeline on the day of the shooting.

Hana said she came home at 3:40 p.m., and her mom and then Champagne came into her room, but left maybe around 4:10 p.m.

The first 911 call for the shooting is 5:13 p.m. Rozier questioned what happened in the hour between those times. Was it one continuous argument, or more? Hana wasn’t sure.

How could she know if someone else hadn’t come into the house? Hana testified that despite only hearing snippets of what was said, she never heard any other voices.

“If somebody was there, I feel like somebody would help my mom,” Hana said, her voice breaking for the first time during her two days of testimony.

The trial also heard from two Hamilton police officers, including an officer who helped secure the scene, including securing the backyard about half an hour after police arrived.

Det. Const. Kristan David, a forensic investigator, testified about gathering evidence and sending items for DNA, and gunshot residue testing.

This included items gathered at the shooting scene, but also on a lawn on nearby Lewis Street, where a white, zipup hoodie and green jacket were later found.

At the shooting scene, police found eight bullets had gone into the neighbour’s door, where Natasha was shot on the doorstep.

Seven of those travelled through the door into the neighbour’s home, including three found in the floor and three in the basement.