LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — The grandfather of a toddler whose parents are on trial in his death says the child was lethargic, but not ill, the night before he was rushed to hospital.
Anthony Stephan is the father of David Stephan, who along with wife Collet, are charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life for their 18-month-old son Ezekiel.
Court has heard how his parents gave him natural remedies, including smoothies with hot peppers and horseradish over a period of two weeks because they thought he had croup and the flu, but an autopsy found the boy had bacterial meningitis and a lung infection.
The boy's grandfather told court Thursday he was at his son's home in Glenwood, Alta., in March 2012 on business and blessed Ezekiel and prayed over him.
He says the next day, he got a call from his son "screaming" that Ezekiel wasn't breathing, and he told him to call 911 and he would meet them at the hospital.
Anthony Stephan also said a emergency medical technician told him at the Cardston hospital that medical officials couldn't get an air tube into the little boy.
"He said to me, 'We couldn't intubate him,'" Anthony Stephan told court. "He was literally weeping."
Later, members of the family travelled to the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary to support David and Collet.
Anthony Stephan said when he was there, he saw several meetings between RCMP, social services, and hospital staff. He described his son and daughter-in-law as being in a "terrible place."
"It reminded me of when my wife suicided," he said tearfully. "I could feel their emptiness."
The Crown objected to his use of opinion, and the judge agreed.
"They were spending a lot of time being interviewed at all hours of the night," he said. "They looked worn out."
Closing arguments in the trial are expected to begin Friday morning.
