Closing submissions heard at trial of Ajax man charged in girlfriend’s 2024 death

# Case status and next steps Closing submissions were delivered Tuesday at the trial of 37-year-old Kyle Severin, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, Jennifer Polak. The trial is in Oshawa. Superior Court Justice Marcella Henschel is scheduled to give the jury final instructions on Thursday before deliberations are expected to begin.

# Defence argument: extreme intoxication and lack of intent

Severin testified he consumed cocaine and a sleeping pill—identified in court as Seroquel—around 7:30 p.m. He said this left him "the highest he had ever been in his life," and that he blacked out. According to his testimony, he slept through a lengthy period of time, then woke to find Polak covered in blood and called 911.

Manitius pointed to the gap in cell phone activity as consistent with a blackout and said Severin was candid about his cocaine use. She described his reported mental state while using cocaine—believing he could read minds and experiencing telekinetic thoughts—as evidence that he was in an altered state when the events occurred. She told jurors the 911 call reflected what Severin believed while intoxicated, including claims he thought intruders were shooting him with lasers.

# Police observations cited by defence Officers who attended the scene provided descriptions the defence used to support the intoxication narrative. One officer testified Severin's physical state was "bizarre," saying he had been banging his head and kicking his feet while in the back of a police cruiser and believed Severin might be under the influence of a hallucinogen. Another officer described Severin as staring straight ahead while being booked at the police station and called his behaviour "odd."

The defence highlighted these reactions as consistent with an extreme drug-induced state rather than purposeful, intentional conduct.

# Questions about actions at the scene

# What is settled in court so far

# What comes next Justice Marcella Henschel will instruct the jury on legal elements and applicable law on Thursday. After those instructions, jurors are expected to begin deliberations to decide whether the Crown has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Severin had the intent for second-degree murder.