Mother of boy, 3, fatally stabbed describes night in Winnipeg her son was attacked

WINNIPEG — The mother of a three-year-old boy who was stabbed repeatedly in the head and neck while lying in his bed has told a trial in Winnipeg that the accused threatened her the night her son was attacked.

Clarice Smith testified that her then-boyfriend, Daniel Jensen, said that he was going to have someone take her son away from her.

Jensen, who is 34, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Hunter Smith-Straight on Oct. 30, 2019.

Smith testified that she and Jensen got into two physical fights at a bar on the night Hunter was attacked.

READ: Winnipeg murder trial told attack on boy, 3, was meant to get back at child’s mother

She said she had told Jensen she was moving with Hunter back to her home community of Manigotagan, about 150 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, without him and he became upset.

Smith told the jury Jensen assaulted her, left the bar, and she didn’t see him again that night.

Court also heard from a Winnipeg Police Service officer who helped with the early stages of the investigation.

Det. Sgt. Ward Gordon was tasked with interviewing and collecting a blood sample from a witness who was at the home the night the toddler was attacked.

Gordon told the jury that he was also assigned to find old addresses of Jensen, who became an early suspect.

The Crown has said Jensen attacked the boy as an act of vengeance.

Hunter was taken to hospital and placed on life support due to brain damage from severe blood loss. He was removed from the machines three days later and died.