Robert Belbin reviews his notes during a break in his murder trial at Supreme Court in St. John’s, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. – Tara Bradbury/The TelegramArticle content“Tell my mom I love her,” were some of the last words Seamus Secord reportedly said before dying on Feb. 7, 2023. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentSecord, 22, had been fatally stabbed. He made the comment to a passer-by who had stopped her car to try and save his life after seeing him bleeding in the snow. Article contentArticle contentThe woman took the witness stand at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John’s on Tuesday, Sept. 24, as the second-degree murder trial of 24-year-old Robert Belbin got underway. Article contentArticle content Seamus Secord (Facebook photo)Article contentShe had been driving home from work around 5 p.m. that day when she witnessed an altercation between two men on the sidewalk near the Mayor Avenue and Newtown Road intersection. Article contentShe told the court that one man appeared to be punching or stabbing the other before running away.Article content The second man then got up from the ground, bleeding and holding his stomach. Article contentWhen the woman pulled over to see if the victim — Secord — was alright, he told her he had been stabbed. When she said she would call 911, he told her not to. Article contentShe followed him to the open garage of a nearby house, where he collapsed and she rushed in to help. There was another man there, the woman testified, who was visibly upset and crying. Article contentShe called for help and attempted to put pressure on Secord’s wounds. She told the court Secord’s breathing had become laboured, and he told her he had been stabbed and was dying. Article contentArticle content Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officers investigate the homicide of 22-year-old Seamus Secord at a residence on Mayor Avenue in St. John’s, Feb. 7, 2023. – Joe Gibbons/The TelegramArticle contentSecond man yelling on the sidewalkArticle contentOther witnesses to testify at the trial on Tuesday included Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Const. Claire Dowden and nurse practitioner Leslie Power, who had been working together as part of the RNC/NL Health Services’ Mobile Crisis Response Team on the night Secord died. Article contentThey were returning to RNC headquarters after a mental health call when they saw Secord walking down Mayor Avenue, clearly in distress. Article contentPower said she saw a second man in the vehicle’s side mirror, standing on the sidewalk yelling, though she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Article contentWhen defence lawyer Ben Curties showed her dash camera footage from another passerby of a male walking on the sidewalk, Power could not say if it was the same person.Article contentShe said she put down the passenger-side window and asked Secord if he was OK.Article content“He said, ‘No, I’m not,’ and kept walking,” Power testified.
‘Tell my mom I love her’: St. John’s court hears details of young man’s death as murder trial gets underway
