Judge instructs jurors in gang shooting trial involving innocent B.C. teen’s death

The trial of a man accused in a Vancouver gangland shooting that left an innocent teenager dead has entered its final stages, with a judge instructing the jury on Friday.

Kane Carter has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the January 2018 attack.

Click to play video: 'Kane Carter trial: Defence takes aim at Crown’s circumstantial evidence'

Kane Carter trial: Defence takes aim at Crown’s circumstantial evidence

The shooting left alleged gangster Kevin Whiteside and innocent 15-year-old Alfred Wong dead. Wong was struck by a bullet while travelling in the back seat of his parent’s car, while another innocent bystander was grazed by a bullet in his own vehicle.

Story continues below advertisement

Crown prosecutors spent two days summarizing the largely circumstantial evidence in the case this week. Carter’s defence countered that prosecutors had not proved he fired the fatal shots.

On Friday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Wedge told jurors they must give an honest, impartial and dispassionate consideration to the evidence.

Click to play video: 'Kane Carter trial: Crown closing arguments continue in trial of killing of innocent B.C. teen'

Kane Carter trial: Crown closing arguments continue in trial of killing of innocent B.C. teen

Jurors could accept the evidence in its entirety, partially, or not at all, she added.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Wedge explained that the Crown must prove Carter intended to commit second-degree murder, but did not need to prove a motive.

She also summarized a number of admissions of fact, including that Carter has possessed firearms and engaged in drug trafficking, and has been in police custody at times.

Evidence also showed that Carter was familiar with firearms and knew how to use them, and has been arrested twice in Ontario for possessing loaded guns since January 2018.

Story continues below advertisement

The jury also heard that Carter can be convicted of the lesser offence of manslaughter if the Crown fails to prove its case of second-degree murder.

Click to play video: 'Kane Carter trial: Closing arguments to begin in September'

Kane Carter trial: Closing arguments to begin in September

The case hinges on the identity of the shooter. No witness saw who pulled the trigger, and the murder weapon was never recovered.

Jurors saw about 125 exhibits of evidence, including security video shot at Broadway and Columbia Street and dash camera video that captured audio of the moment Wong was shot.

The Crown’s theory is that Carter was in the area to kill Whiteside, who was himself in the area to kill gang rival Matthew Navas-Rivas.

Surveillance video captured Whiteside running down Broadway and firing at a cab carrying his rival. Navas-Rivas and the other passenger ducked and escaped alive while Whiteside was fatally shot and died on the sidewalk.

Story continues below advertisement

Jurors saw security video of a burgundy van that Crown says was occupied by Carter, which drove away moments after the shooting.

Click to play video: 'Kane Carter trial: Gunshot audio, dashcam released in death of bystander teen in Vancouver'

Kane Carter trial: Gunshot audio, dashcam released in death of bystander teen in Vancouver

The jury heard the van was later determined to be the same vehicle used by a drug trafficking operation, and which was located at Carter’s Surrey apartment. Police found gunshot residue and three damaged bullet casings in the van, along with a bloody tissue and other DNA evidence linking it to Carter.

Jurors also heard ballistic evidence showing the trajectory of bullets that hit Wong and Whiteside came from the south, where the van was parked.

Carter did not testify. His defence, however, told the jury there were too many gaps in the Crown’s evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Carter had fired the deadly shots.

It also told jurors that just because Carter had “done other bad stuff does not mean they can rely on his previous bad character.”

Advertisement

&copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Source