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The jury in the murder trial of Gerald Stanley will hear his account of what happened on the day Colten Boushie died when he takes the witness stand for the defence.
Stanley, 56, is on trial for second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Boushie near Biggar, Sask., on Aug. 9, 2016.
Boushie was sitting in the driver’s seat of a grey Ford Escape when he was shot to death on Stanley’s farm.
Stanley’s lawyer, Scott Spencer, gave his opening statement to the seven-woman, five-man jury Monday. Spencer told the court Boushie’s death was an example of “”what can go terribly wrong when you create a situation in the nature of a home invasion. For farmers, your yard is your castle.”
On Monday the defence also announced plans to call Stanley to testify.
The Crown wrapped up its case last week.
Gerald Stanley’s son Sheldon Stanley testified that on the day of the shooting, he and his father heard an ATV start and thought it was being stolen. The pair ran toward the SUV and threw a hammer at the windshield as the driver tried to leave the farm.
Sheldon said he went into the house to get his truck keys and heard two gunshots. He said he heard a third when he came back out. He told court he saw his father looking sick with a gun in his hand saying, “It just went off.”
Three of the other individuals that were in the car with Boushie also testified for the Crown.
But Saskatchewan Chief Justice Martel Popescul addressed some contradictions in their testimony with mid-trial instructions Friday.
“Common sense tells you that if a witness says one thing in the witness box but has said something quite different on an earlier occasion, this may reduce the value of his or her evidence,” Popescul said.
Cassidy Cross admitted Thursday that he had lied to police in his initial statement to police about carrying a gun, how much alcohol he had consumed, and breaking into a truck on the day his friend was killed.
Belinda Jackson initially told police she saw a woman shoot Boushie, but during her testimony said it was an older white man that did the shooting.
Popescul said the jurors should consider any explanation that the witnesses gave to the reason for their differences.
The case was originally scheduled for three weeks, but could likely be in the hands of the jury by the end of the week.
Written with files from Canadian Press . Follow 650 CKOM/980 CJME’s Kevin Martel on Twitter for live updates from the trial: