N.L. man accused of killing his estranged wife returns to witness box in 1st-degree murder trial

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Penney begins his testimony on Friday at the place it ended — concerns that he had over what could happen if he crossed the fictitious crime organization negatively. Dean made a comment to an undercover officer about if people could be "made away with."

"What I saw was they were very, very big. Very powerful organization. They had a lot of muscle in different places," he said.

Penney is also asked about the connections they had. One of the jobs he took part in was a staged fuel heist in Alberta, and he said he had never experienced anything like it before.

"You don’t see much like that when you’re fishing."

The courtroom has opened, and we’re about to get underway.

A number of Jennifer Hillier-Penney’s family members are back in attendance. They made the five-plus hour drive from St. Anthony to Corner Brook. Dean Penney’s father is also among those in the gallery this morning.

At the end of Penney's testimony on Thursday, he and defence lawyer Mark Gruchy began exploring the relationship between Penney and Vic, an undercover RCMP officer tasked with becoming Penney's best friend as part of a Mr. Big sting operation.

Penney's testimony ended with the concept of vouching. 

He believed that he, Vic, and others around him were employed by a fictitious crime organization. In a staged part of the Mr. Big operation, Vic vouched for Penney and the work he did as part of the criminal group. Penney said he valued Vic's support, and that he felt that going against the group could have consequences because of it.

Penney's lawyers have said throughout the trial Penney was pressured into giving confessions he gave to police on Nov. 30 and Dec. 8, 2023.

Penney's first day of testimony brought a full house to Courtroom 1 at Supreme Court of N.L. In Corner Brook, and Friday is expected to be no different.

Much of the room was filled with members of Jennifer Hillier-Penney's family, who have been present throughout the trial watching each and every detail. 

There's also a change in the jury box this morning. A juror was excused from the trial Thursday because of a personal commitment, so one of the two alternates has been called up.

This trial was originally slated to last four weeks — the entirety of April. Today marks the end of week six, and the trial is now on the docket until May 22.

During the trial, Fridays are half-days only, meaning court will sit until around 12:30 p.m. NT. It's likely Penney could be back in the witness box when court resumes on Monday.

Dean Penney takes the stand in his own murder trial

Friday marks the second day of testimony for Dean Penney in his first-degree murder trial. He's pleaded not guilty to the death of his estranged wife, Jennifer Hillier-Penney.

Dean Penney sat calmly in the witness box as he began his testimony in his first-degree murder trial on Thursday. He's charged in the death of his estranged wife, Jennifer Hillier-Penney, on Nov. 30, 2016. It's up to the jury to decide whether the murder was planned and deliberate.

On Thursday, Penney spoke in court about his life in the fishery, and the life he built with his wife, Jennifer Hillier-Penney.

Penney, who has pleaded not guilty, also spoke on multiple occasions about how he struggled to grasp why his marriage was falling apart in late 2016. He spoke of how hard he worked to provide for their family.

On Nov. 30, 2016, the day his wife disappeared, Penney said he was on a hunting trip at his cabin, about 50 kilometres outside St. Anthony. He said he came back to town once around supper time to get a coffee, and came back again around 11 p.m. To get his duck decoys and see his daughter, Deana. He came back to his house, where Hillier-Penney was staying while he was away.

He spoke of how he faced death threats in the immediate aftermath of his wife's disappearance, and that it went as far as a bullet being shot into the back wall of his home. The finger was quickly pointed at him, he said, and that the RCMP "weren't looking at anyone else."

Penney was introduced to Vic, an undercover RCMP officer in need of a hunting guide, around 2019. Penney and Vic grew close, with Penney testifying he thought of Vic as a best friend and as close to family as an outsider can get. They connected on a deep level, gave each other gifts, and Penney said Vic was there for him following the death of his mother in 2021.

Odd jobs from Vic began coming to Penney during that period, with Penney saying it was a much-needed morale and financial boost. Vic vouched for Penney within the fictitious criminal organization set up to get close to Penney and squeeze information out of him regarding his wife's disappearance. Penney said he felt the weight of the voucher, and that he felt crossing the group negatively could lead to consequences.

Penney's testimony will resume on Friday at 10 a.m. NT. 

That is the final testimony that will be heard this afternoon. Dean Penney’s testimony will resume on Friday. 

A juror has been excused from the case due to a personal matter, meaning one of the alternates will step into the jury.

Friday is a half-day in court, meaning the trial will only sit until around 12:30 p.m. NT. Ryan Cooke and I will be back tomorrow morning when the trial resumes.

As part of the fictitious crime organization, Vic vouched for Penney and the work he was doing. Vic told Penney that if he were to double-cross him, it would “break his heart.”

Penney said he felt the weight of that voucher, and said he knew going against the group could bring consequences.

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