‘It just got weird’: Family members testify on day two of former Mountie’s murder trial

By Nigel Maxwell

Content warning: The following story contains graphic depictions of violence.

A former Saskatchewan Mountie, accused of first-degree murder, was assaulted and harassed on numerous occasions by the man he allegedly shot and killed.

That’s according to Bernie Herman’s wife Janice, who was among the latest witnesses to testify at his Court of King’s Bench trial in Prince Albert.

In May, 2021, 26-year-old Braden Herman, no relation to the accused, was found dead in a wooded and secluded area on the city’s northeastern outskirts.

From early 2018 to early 2019, Braden lived at the family’s home in Prince Albert, along with the couple’s daughter, stepson and grandchild. Janice Herman recalled how Braden and Bernie met on Facebook and hung out together, watching hockey and going for coffee. Not long after that, a decision was made to invite Braden to live there.

“He always told us he had no place to live,” Janice said.

Describing the chemistry in the home as initially very good, Janice explained that within a few months Braden’s mood changed, and he began refusing to do chores and getting violent when he didn’t get his way. She added Braden would also get upset when her husband returned home from work and proceeded to kiss and hug her.

“He started pushing my husband around,” she said.

Noting Braden often complained of having anxiety, Janice explained Bernie would lie down with him in the downstairs bedroom where he slept. When asked by the Crown how this made her feel, Janice replied that it hurt.

The following February, tensions had escalated in the home to the point where Braden was asked to leave and never come back. However, Janice explained that over the following two years Braden returned on several occasions, entering the home uninvited or even breaking in and smashing wedding photos or closet doors.

And according to Janice, Braden’s violent behavior only got worse, noting one time when she took Bernie to the hospital to get stitched up. And she said there was another time when Braden confronted her outside a bar.

“He kicked me in the face two times, broke my glasses,” she said.

Despite the numerous run-ins, Janice said she only laid charges once. She said Braden told her he would not stop until they accepted him back into the house.

The night prior to Braden’s death, testimony revealed Janice and Braden had been out drinking together at a bar and at a friend’s apartment. There were also several photos shown to the court of Braden and Janice together.

Noting the witness’s claims of being scared of Braden, Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt noted a no-contact order that had been issued months prior and asked whether it was in place on the numerous occasions Janice and Braden were observed drinking and partying together.

Janice confirmed it was.

Later in the afternoon, Bernie Herman’s daughter Jana took the stand and described the relationship between the accused and the victim as comparable to one between a father and son.

“And later it just got weird,” she said, recalling times when her father and Braden would be holding hands, sleeping together or just sitting very close together on the couch.

When asked if she had witnessed any violence between her parents and Braden, Jana said no, adding that most of the incidents described happened after she moved out, and she did her best to stay away from all the drama.

On the morning of the May 11, Jana recalled getting a text message from Braden, noting it was the first time in months she had heard from him. She described the message itself as gibberish.

Jana did not reply and instead forwarded it to her dad. Later that evening, she said she drove her mom to Cst. Richard Wittal’s home to show him a troubling text message received from Bernie. While Jana told the court she did not read the text, testimony on Monday revealed Bernie claimed to have shot Braden.

Also testifying on Tuesday was the Prince Albert police officer in charge of the rural-area crime scene where Braden Herman’s body was found. Describing a scene littered with garbage, used condoms and needle wrappers, Sgt. Curtis Bradbury testified Braden was found lying on his back and was naked with exception of some dark-rimmed glasses.

There was a bullet wound in the upper-left chest area, he said, as well as bruises to the general chest area.

Bradbury, who also attended the autopsy on May 13, 2021, said a bullet was later removed from Braden’s liver.

The Crown’s final witness will be called on Wednesday, and defence lawyer Darren Kraushaar has indicated plans to present his evidence on Thursday.

Herman’s altercation with the media

Prior to the morning’s court proceedings, Herman was involved in an altercation with a member of the media, who had come to take a picture of Herman.

Moving away from the sidewalk, Herman proceeded to approach the photographer and push the camera away. The photographer was not hurt and the camera was not damaged.

However, for the protection of other media, when court took a lunch break Herman was escorted to a waiting vehicle by two deputy sheriffs.