Richard Valiquette's girlfriend testifies about night Gavin Adams went missing

Saint John teen Gavin Adams and his friend were stumbling like they were drunk and had difficulty opening the door when they left Richard Valiquette's home on Dec. 14, 2013, the night Gavin went missing,the Court of Queen's Bench heard on Wednesday.

Two days later, a search-and-rescue crew found the frozenbody of the 17-year-oldhalf-buried in snow in a parking lotonChesleyDrive, in the city's north end.

Valiquette, 28, is on trial forcriminal negligence causing death in connection with the drug-related death of the Saint John High School student.Heis accused of giving hima substance not intended for human consumption and in reckless disregard for his safety.

On Wednesday,Valiquette's girlfriend of six years,AimeeFournier, testified "Ricky" soldDMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine), a hallucinogenic drug,25i and marijuana in 2013.

She lived withhimat the time andidentified for the court aphotograph of four glass canisters in their Kennedy Street residence. "I believe that's DMT during process of production," she said.

Fournier said she washome sick on Dec. 14, 2013, whenGavinand his friend AdrianGoguenvisited.The next morning, police came knocking.

Valiquette told her Gavin and Goguenappeared impaired when they left that night, she said, as Gavin's parents looked on from the public gallery of the courtroom.

On Tuesday, Goguen, now 19, testified he and Gavin had purchased four tabs each of 25ifrom Valiquetteandthe drug hit him harder than ever before.

He said he was so high hehad difficulty speaking and he and Gavin both struggled to put on their shoes and get down the stairs.

The friendssubsequently got separated and a police officer transported Goguen to the emergency department, where he was treated fora moderately severe drug overdose, the court heard.

Fournier said Valiquette told her he ordered the 25i online, put it onto blotter paper, which was then put into tin foil.

Shenever saw 25i added to blotter paper in their home, but she believes she saw blotter paper inValiquette'sdesk, she said.

Gavin was a regular visitor to their apartment, she said. He arrived intoxicated "fairly often," would smoke marijuana and DMT there and sometimes brought his own, said Fournier.

Valiquette pleaded guilty on Oct. 3 to producing DMT.Two other charges against him drug trafficking and possession of a drug for the purposes of traffickingwere dropped.

He was initially charged with manslaughter on Nov. 25, 2014, in connection with Gavin's death, but that charge was withdrawn by consent in July 2015.

The trial also heard from several police officers on Wednesday. They testified about executing a search warrant at Valiquette's apartment on Dec. 17, 2013, at 2:10 p.m.,after Gavin's body was discovered.

Police rammed the door and found a chemistry book, chemistry equations,unknown substances and blotter paper, which were seized,they said. The blotter paper was sent for testing and came back positive for 25i.

The trial resumes on Friday morning. Toxicology experts and a pathologist are expected to testify.

The Crown expects to wrap up its case on Oct. 19. The trial, which started on Oct. 3, is scheduled to take two weeks.Justice FrederickFerguson is presiding.