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Wife takes stand in double murder conspiracy trial

May 25, 2016 | 6:38 PM

The wife of a man charged with plotting to kill her with his lover kept her composure on the stand as part of a high-profile murder conspiracy trial today, May 25.

Brigitte Vey testified at P.A.’s Court of Queen’s Bench during the second day of Curtis Vey and Angela Nicholson’s trial. Both are charged with two counts of conspiring to commit murder against their spouses.

Brigitte seemed as chipper as one could be, given the circumstances, as she began her testimony. When asked by Crown Prosecutor Lori O’Connor about her marriage, she said “before this I thought it was really good” with a slight chuckle.

After 28 years of marriage Brigitte said she and her husband were looking forward to retiring, had bought a condo in Phoenix and were planning their daughter’s wedding.

Her demeanor became much more somber however when she detailed how she discovered her husband was having an affair in October 2012.

After making sure the affair was ended, she and Curtis apparently tried to work it out.

“I don’t know how many times I left before the kids said I have to make up my mind,” she told the jury. “But I didn’t want to throw away a 28-year marriage to the man I loved.”

After some counselling and several tense months, Brigitte says their relationship got better until June, 2013, when Vey began hiding things and started acting suspiciously. This prompted her to begin recording Vey’s activities when she wasn’t home.

Much of the day in court was spent listening to the audio recording Brigitte made with her iPod on July 1, 2013. She’d left the iPod on a ledge under a table.

The recording began in the early morning and provided a snapshot of their lives as they worked to put their life back together. They discussed friends, family, flies and plumbing issues before Brigitte left for work.

It then jumped ahead to Curtis and Nicholson talking in the house. For much of the time they talked about mundane matters, but their conversation took a significant turn in the final stretch of the recording.

The audio quality was poor and both constantly referred to previous conversations on the same topic. However, they were heard talking about how and when to best set a fire, how to make it look like an accident and how long they should wait to be together.

When the recording finished and her testimony resumed, Brigitte was much quieter and appeared to have been crying.

She said she listened to the first part of the recording while on her supper break at work, and then the rest of it while on a walk after confronting her husband. Once she learned her husband wasn’t just having an affair but was allegedly plotting to murder her, she left to stay with family.

Curtis and Nicholson were arrested July 6, 2013, the Vey’s 28th anniversary.

Since the arrest, Brigitte said she’s met new friends and is moving forward with her life.

During cross-examination, she was questioned by her husband’s lawyer Aaron Fox if she’d even felt unsafe during her marriage, or if Curtis had ever been violent.

She said no, but she was now concerned about money. According to her, Curtis held up the division of their property, and the financial issues which need to be dealt with so she can get a divorce.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.

 

ssterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit