Torture victim’s inconsistent account questioned at Kamloops trial

The victim in the Kamloops trial of two people accused of torturing and threatening a man in his own home carried on for another day with a lawyer questioning the victim’s shifting account.

Brandon Hoodicoff testified for a fourth day, Feb. 18, again facing questions from defence lawyer Daniel McNamee. The lawyer drew attention to several times when what Hoodicoff told police differed from what he said in court last week.

McNamee drew attention to Hoodicoff’s account of an incident where his wife allegedly tortured him in the house. He earlier said her co-accused, Devon Jules, was in the basement and not in the room. Later, Hoodicoff said he was just outside the room.

“At no point when you were going into the details of what happened did you ever mention (to police) Mr. Devon Jules was in the room, or in anyway involved with that torture incident,” McNamee said, who is Devon’s lawyer.

Crown lawyers said they had no more evidence to call for the trial, and it’s not clear whether either of the co-accused have witnesses to call.

Jessica Jules, Hoodicoff’s wife, and Devon Jules are accused of torturing Hoodicoff at the home in April 2024.

Prosecutors opened the trial by telling the jury the couple was in a “rough patch” in their marriage, while Devon attempted to involve them in a drug trafficking scheme.

What Hoodicoff’s changing version will mean for the trial isn’t yet clear, but McMillan drew attention to a handful of statements that changed once he was on the stand.

The alleged torture incident involved Jessica using a screwdriver and pliers. Last week, he told the jury Devon told Jessica to do it, but she said she was reluctant to go through with it when cross-examined by her lawyer.

“When you were asked in cross-examination, it was specifically put to you that Mr. Devon Jules wasn’t there, and you agreed with that. This is also a point that you spoke about at length in your police statement,” McNamee said.

McNamee said Hoodicoff had told police multiple times Devon was not involved in that incident.

The facts of other alleged assault or torture incidents weren’t challenged, but he had also told the court of an alleged murder plot against Devon.

He had earlier said Jessica was discussing the plan with another man, nicknamed “J-Rod.” He later told the court that man wasn’t involved at all.

When asked by McNamee, Hoodicoff confirmed he told police something else, but he was not asked to explain why it differed.

Devon, not related to Jessica, made her the second-in-command in his “crew” and the jury initially heard Hoodicoff’s torture was part of her initiation. Later, Hoodicoff said Devon told Jessica to do it.

She would later apologize to Hoodicoff and they were both fearful of Devon’s presence in the house, he told the court.

Once Hoodicoff’s testimony concluded, the Crown called a police officer, along with Hoodicoff’s boss as witnesses. His boss, Barry Tallman, told the court of Hoodicoff’s erratic behaviour and intermittent attendance at work in the weeks before he fled their Tk’emlups home.

The jury will return on Feb. 19 as the trial continues.