Tri-Towns Bureau

NORWICH — Peter Wlasiuk's girlfriend detailed her relationship with Wlasiuk and his wife, Patricia, for jurors in Wlasiuk's murder trial in Norwich on Monday.

Jurors have been hearing testimony about the girlfriend since the trial started about a week and a half ago. On Monday, the woman took the stand for the defense.

Peter Wlasiuk, 33, is on trial in Chenango County Court on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of his wife on April 3. He allegedly staged an accident that sent the couple's truck into Guilford Lake to cover up homicide.

Joyce Worden of Guilford was called by defense attorney Frederick Neroni on Monday afternoon. Her testimony is expected to resume today when the trial begins at 9 a.m.

A long-time friend of the couple, Worden told Neroni she joined a three-way sexual relationship with the two in September 2001, at the instigation of Patricia. She had been hired by the Oxford couple to baby-sit their children.

"We were very close — intimately, friendship-wise — I never had a problem (with Patricia)," she said.

But Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride said this was inconsistent with what Worden said during a Sept. 9 hearing.

"You told us she was mad at you for spending too much time with Peter," he said about the previous statement. After being shown the testimony, Worden said her current recollections might be wrong.

McBride also confronted her with her denial of the Sept. 1, 2001, start of a physical relationship with Peter. When Worden was later sued for divorce by her husband, McBride said she was accused of having an affair with Peter in spring of that year.

But Worden said her then-husband was wrong.

"I had an affair with Pete and Patty," in September, she maintained. "It was the three of us all the way."

McBride asked if Worden was Wlasiuk's girlfriend, noting the many visits she has made to see him in Chenango County jail, where he has been held since he was arrested April 8.

"I guess — yes." she said.

He continued with questions about the lake-crash.

"Did you ever ask him the next day what happened?" McBride asked.

"No, it was an accident as far as I knew," she said.

"I asked you if you asked Peter how his wife died?" he said.

"On April 4 he was trying to get out the truth" to family members and a friend, she said.

"You never asked him how it happened," McBride continued.

"No," Worden said. "In all honesty, I was pretty razzled over the loss of Patty."

But soon after the alleged accident, she said, "I heard about the deer." Wlasiuk had told several versions of a story to Chenango County deputies and relatives, involving Patricia swerving to miss a deer that sent the truck into the lake.

Worden said, a couple of weeks after the alleged accident, Wlasiuk said the "deer story was a lie."

McBride said Wlasiuk has since told deputies a different story that better fit the physical evidence. Now, he said Patricia deliberately drove the truck into the lake. Repeated testimony in the trial said Wlasiuk initially became a suspect because evidence did not fit the deer story.

McBride continued the probing with questions about Velcro straps in the couple's bedroom that he said were used during sex.

Worden denied Wlasiuk ever used them on her or Patricia.

"Did he ever tell you he used then on his wife?" he asked.

"I don't recall," she said.

Pulling out the September testimony again, McBride said Worden had reported hearing Wlasiuk used them on his wife but that she didn't know how often.

After he gave her the transcript to review, she changed her testimony.

"Yes, he did," she said.

Judge W. Howard Sullivan allowed McBride to enter other passages of the September testimony into the record of this trial. This included Worden's testimony upon further questioning that Patricia may have been upset about Worden's closeness with Wlasiuk

However, Worden said Monday that Patricia first got mad in February because "I wasn't going to lie for her anymore," she said, referring to not telling Wlasiuk about his wife's drinking.

McBride asked about an incident at the couple's Angel Inn bar in Guilford in November, where others have testified Wlasiuk kicked his wife in the chest.

Worden, however, said Wlasiuk stepped on Patricia after she kicked him. Patricia then fell to the ground and grabbed his leg while she was drunk, Worden said.

"I remember him trying to break free," she said. "It happened kind of fast."

"Did you ever hear Pete yell at Patty?" McBride asked.

"I've seen him raise his voice, but I've never seen him scream or yell," except for the incident in November, Worden said.

In earlier testimony Monday, Wlasiuk's parents, Thomas and Gail, were called by the defense.

Gail told Neroni she had previously worked as a legal secretary in New Jersey, where the couple still has a house. She said she told her son the morning of the accident, "when something like this happens you notify the insurance company."

Earlier in the trial, McBride questioned Peter Wlasiuk's call, which came shortly after his wife's death. McBride said insurance money, totaling more than $300,000, was a motive for the alleged murder.

But Wlasiuk's mother said the call was her idea.

She also said testimony from a jail guard last week was taken out of context. Tonya Shoales said she overheard Wlasiuk tell his mother that if he had planned the alleged accident better he wouldn't be in jail.

Instead, Gail said, "Peter was having a bad day that day. He was on the pity pot. Sometimes I'm not the most sympathetic person."

But she told her son he should have told the truth about the accident from the start instead of changing his story.

Thomas Wlasiuk told Neroni that he moved bales of hay with a tractor soon after police searched the house April 5. He said this routine chore drags the bales over the ground, probably causing what police witnesses called back-blading to hide evidence.

Neroni said he expects to finish the defense's case today.

State police forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden is also expected to be called today to testify for the prosecution.