'I was trying to make her fall in love with me' says murder accused

Johnathan Townsend denied Tuesday that he hated Corellie Bonhomme so much that he wanted her dead, insisting for his second day on the witness stand that he loved the woman.

"No, I wanted her to live," he told prosecutor Crystal Tomusiak.

"I was trying to make her fall in love with me," he said, echoing the explanation he repeatedly gave Monday about his plan to poison the 42-year-old woman to gain her affection.

The assistant Crown attorney suggested to the 21-year-old murder accused that the person he truly loved was the American girl he was chatting with on Skype, where he outlined his feelings about Bonhomme, calling her names, and talking about his desire to take her life.

"I don't actually know. I thought I did at the time,"  he said, adding he's not actually sure if he loved the girl he referred to in 2013 as his girlfriend.

"It might be more like obsession with her."

Townsend has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Bonhomme, an exotic dancer, whose body was found Aug. 8, 2013, in the bathtub of his Lake Street bachelor apartment.

She died from a knife wound to her neck.

On Tuesday, Tomusiak referred to Townsend's communications with his girlfriend on Aug. 7, the night before the homicide — Bonhomme died about 3 a.m. on Aug. 8.

At 9:30 p.m., Townsend told the girl "it's probably now or never. If I don't do it tonight I may never get another chance."

When the Crown suggested the urgency of his plan was escalating, Townsend replied said there was no reason he couldn't have done it another night, but "I just thought do it tonight and make her fall in love with me."

Townsend, who always referred to Bonhomme as the stripper, talked to the girl about his plan to spill the woman's blood on his bed and sheets, but Townsend told jurors it was something he didn't intend to do.

When Tomusiak pointed out this is what he had done, he responded "I wasn't intending to. It ended up happening."

He maintained that he taken the knife to bed because he was going to kill himself, not Bonhomme.

Townsend said he doesn't know if he intentionally stabbed her in the neck, but thought "it was more just reaction."

After suggesting Townsend had forced the woman into the tub after she was stabbed, Tomusiak asked if he had tried to stop her from leaving the apartment.

"Not intentionally. I thought I was trapped in a corner, I didn't realize she was trying to get out . . . she fell on me."

The trial began April 3, with the Crown calling numerous witnesses, including police officers, first responders, a forensic pathologist, the apartment building superintendent, and a technical crime unit detective who did a forensic analysis of Townsend's computer and located the Skype communications.

The prosecution wrapped up its case Friday.

Defence counsel Jennifer Tremblay-Hall only called one witness, her client who spent Monday on the stand and completed his testimony about 11:15 a.m. today.

Superior Court Justice Michael Varpio sent the jurors home until next Tuesday, at which time the lawyers will make their closing arguments.