Christine Bishop and Terry Albert’s relationship was described as “tumultuous.”
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The couple didn’t share any children, but both were addicted to drugs, including fentanyl, the powerful, highly addictive synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine and the main drug implicated in the ongoing opioid drug crisis.
Both of them were high on Sept. 22, 2023, when, during a physical fight, Bishop stabbed Albert twice in the chest.
On Thursday, Bishop, 35, who originally was charged with second-degree murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Albert, 27.
An agreed statement of facts filed at the hearing before Ontario Court Justice Kevin McHugh described some of the couple’s troubled background and what happened the day Albert died.
Assistant Crown attorney Jeremy Carnegie told McHugh both Albert and Bishop were “regularly abusing various street drugs” and on the day Albert died, he was high on several drugs, including fentanyl.
Bishop also was “under the influence of drugs” when the couple began arguing, which escalated to physical violence. It was during the fight that Bishop stabbed Albert.
It wasn’t clear what exactly had happened to Albert when he was found at 9:53 a.m. collapsed on the front steps of a Forbes Street address near the home in London’s Manor Park area in which the couple lived.
A man living at the address discovered Albert and saw he “was bleeding profusely from his collarbone area and was short of breath,” Carnegie told McHugh.
Albert told the man he had been stabbed by his girlfriend. Then, Albert had a seizure and did not speak to the man again. Albert was taken to London Health Sciences Centre where he died about 30 minutes later.
There was trail of blood from the living room at Albert’s address to where he collapsed. There was no evidence of any bloody knife.
Albert’s parents were notified and his mother drove toward her son’s Forbes Street home. At a Shell gas station on Wharncliffe Road, she saw Bishop, dressed all in black, wearing black shoes with white soles and carrying a black bag. A woman matching that description had been seen walking away from the home shared by Bishop and Albert moments after Albert was discovered.
Police caught up to Bishop on McKay Street and arrested her on outstanding warrants at 12:28 p.m. and while searching her, discovered a paring knife in her pocket with blood on the blade.
Bishop was re-arrested for murder. When the officer was explaining her rights to counsel and mandatory cautions, Bishop “only nodded and refused to speak,” Carnegie told McHugh.
An autopsy showed Albert had suffered two stab wounds, one superficial wound to the left lower chest and a fatal wound to the upper left chest that penetrated the right ventricle of the heart.
Various drugs also were detected in Albert’s blood, Carnegie said.
Defence lawyer Keli Mersereau requested a Gladue report, a specialized pre-sentence report for Indigenous offenders, for Bishop, who is in custody.
A sentencing isn’t expected until at least June when the report is ready, but the case will return to court on March 27 for an update.