Yoga teacher was excited about the future days before her death, say witnesses

Kristin Johnston wanted to break up with the man later accused of murdering her, but told friends in the days leading up to her death she was having a hard time doing so, a Halifax jury heard Thursday. 

Nicholas Jordan Butcher, 35, is on trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court for second-degree murder in the 2016 death of his girlfriend, a 32-year-old Halifax yoga teacher originally from Montreal. He has pleaded not guilty.

Crown attorney Tanya Carter has told the jury the medical examiner found Johnston died of 10 sharp-force wounds to her neck. The woman was found dead in her Purcells Cove-area home.

On Thursday, the Crown called Johnston's friend Jennifer Hazard to testify. She told the court she last saw her friend when they met each other in Costa Rica in March 2016. 

She testified Johnston was exhausted after closing her failing yoga business the month before, was unhappy in her relationship with Butcher and just wanted to relax.

Hazard told the court that Butcher was back in Nova Scotia, taking care of Johnston's pit bull, Charlie.

Hazard said she challenged Johnston that her relationship with Butcher didn't sound like love. Johnston said she didn't believe in that kind of love anymore.

The pair discussed driving across Canada to move Johnston to British Columbia where she could help her sister, who had a new baby on the way.

Hazard said Johnson was excited about her prospects for the future when she last saw her on March 21, 2016.

In one of their last message exchanges, on March 25, Hazard said Johnston told her being back in Nova Scotia and trying to break up with Butcher was "hard" and she was trying her best not to go back to her house.

The next day Johnston was dead. 

Johnston's ex-boyfriend Craig Conoley also testified on Thursday. He told the court he dated Johnston for about four-and-a-half years, breaking up in 2010. 

Conoley said he last spoke to her in March 2016 over Facebook messenger at which time Johnston told him she wanted to get rid of "anchors" in her life including her home and Butcher. He told the court Johnston said she was "in too deep" and she was "terrified." She thought it was time to move on but she didn't know how to tell Butcher.

'Lust for life'

The last witness for the day was Matthew Whiston, a Halifax teacher who met Johnston when she moved to Halifax eight years ago. He said they became "good friends."

He told the court he hung out with her the last night she was alive. They met at Lion and Bright on Agricola Street at 8 p.m. He said she was in good spirits and excited. Despite her business troubles, Whiston said she showed a real "lust for life."  

He said she told him she wanted to end her relationship with Butcher, sell her house and move. 

After drinking a few beers, they parted company. Whiston sent her a Facebook message at about 11:15 p.m. saying he'd see her next week. He learned of her death the next day. 

The Crown expects to call some 40 witnesses in a case that has been scheduled to run for 20 days.

The CBC's Blair Rhodes live blogged from court. Those on mobile can read it here.