Intent was at the centre of closing arguments Thursday in the trial of a man accused of killing his girlfriend with a snow shovel. Cody Chubey, 38, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Danielle Dobersheck, 30. Dobersheck was found dead in a motel room bathroom on March 10, 2024, in Melfort, Sask. Her cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Chubey has admitted killing Dobersheck, but testified he was so intoxicated he doesn’t remember the attack. Motel neighbour records audio of Chubey threatening Dobersheck The Crown argued Dobersheck locked herself in the bathroom to take refuge from Chubey, who kicked in the door before attacking her with the shovel. Crown prosecutor Jennifer Souter pointed to audio recorded on a cellphone by a guest in a neighbouring motel room. The neighbour captured Chubey accusing Dobersheck of cheating. “In the recording you can hear Mr. Chubey say things like, ‘Tell me. Make it easy and I’ll make it end. Tell me who you f----. You’re going to die if you don’t tell me,’” Souter said. The neighbour testified she could hear something hitting the tub an estimated 10 times. After that, it went quiet and police arrived. Hours before the killing, the couple travelled to Saskatoon, where they got matching tattoos and went to a restaurant before Chubey drove them back to Melfort. Chubey testified he remembers the drive, but nothing about the attack. The Crown called Chubey an unreliable witness. Souter questioned his level of intoxication and his claimed memory loss. The prosecutor argued drunken intent is still intent — even if Chubey does not remember the killing. Defence pushes for manslaughter verdict Defence lawyer Peter Abrametz argued Chubey was in a drunken blackout and the killing was neither planned nor deliberate. Abrametz noted the shovel belonged to the motel. He argued it was a weapon of opportunity, not one that his client had sought out ahead of time. Abrametz said Chubey was too intoxicated to consider the consequences of his actions. “There was no thought of consequences, nothing deliberate, or considered, or carefully thought out — no design or scheme,” Abrametz said. He urged the judge to find Chubey guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter. Justice Sean Sinclair is scheduled to deliver his verdict on Dec. 11.
