CALGARY - The tumultuous torture trial of a man accused of starving and beating a friend and roommate is expected to finally draw to an end today.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Sheilah Martin is to rule first on an application from Dustin Paxton's lawyer for a stay of proceedings. She will then give her verdict on whether Paxton is guilty of aggravated assault, forcible confinement and sexual assault.

Paxton, 34, was charged in August 2010 — four months after a man who had shared a place with him in Calgary was dropped off at a Regina hospital. He was bruised, bleeding and emaciated.

Paxton's trial began last Sept. 27 and moved at an agonizingly slow pace. The Crown called 43 witnesses in the proceedings which were originally scheduled to last five weeks, but took 4 1/2 months.

The 28-year-old alleged victim, whose name is under a court-ordered publication ban, testified that he was starved, humiliated and beaten — sometimes severely — on an almost daily basis and forced to perform sexual favours for Paxton.

He testified that he took the abuse because he didn't want to appear to be "a sissy" and had dreams of making big money in Calgary through the business he and Paxton started.

He said he suffered severe facial trauma and had all of his ribs broken in a beating with a two-by-four.

The defence argued that the alleged victim was not tied up or locked in his room and could have left at any time.

The Crown brought in Kris Mohandie, a U.S.-based human captivity expert, who told court that the man reacted to the almost daily beatings like an abused pet or battered spouse would and couldn't flee the relationship.

The judicial stay of proceedings requested by defence lawyer Jim Lutz was one reason for the drawn-out affair. The application didn't come until after final arguments by Lutz and prosecutor Joe Mercier.

Lutz said in his application that his client hadn't received a fair trial because there was evidence that showed police coaching a witness who was called to testify against the accused.

The application resulted in a fresh set of lawyers brought in to argue for and against the stay, which, if granted, will allow Paxton to walk free.

Both Lutz and Mercier found themselves in the unusual position of being called as witnesses. The defence lawyer testified that two different spectators approached him to report that they had seen a senior Calgary police officer coaching a witness from the gallery and that a court clerk reported seeing the same thing.

Lutz also testified that he had asked that a key witness who had an outstanding warrant be arrested, but the court's sheriff was told by the Crown not to make the arrest.