'I beat Janson Baker with a shotgun,' witness says at attempted murder trial in Moncton

A Nova Scotia man testified Friday about the moments leading up to the arrest of a 27-year-old accused of attempting to murder a teacher with a shotgun three years ago. 

Matthew Hunsley was the 10th witness to testify in Janson Bryan Baker's trial on 16 charges, including attempting to murder and rob teacher Christopher Leger with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun outside Riverview High School on Jan. 5, 2021. 

One of the first questions from Crown prosecutor Malika Levesque was what brought him to court to testify. 

"I beat Janson Baker with a shotgun," Hunsley replied flatly.

Hunsley testified that he met Baker at a home Jan. 4, 2021, on Eddy Street in Amherst where he said Baker commented about it being the only house he had been in in Nova Scotia. 

The Jan. 5 shooting in New Brunswick led to RCMP issuing several emergency alerts. Hunsley said one on Jan. 6 led him to believe Baker was in Nova Scotia, and he guessed he'd be back at the Eddy Street home.

He drove there and spoke to Baker, who asked if Hunsley wanted to buy a shotgun for $100. Hunsley said he asked Baker to unload it. 

"And then I hit him with it," Hunsley said, saying he hit the man in the face and the gun stock broke. 

He said he hit him several more times, threw him down a set of stairs and the two ended up outside. Police had already arrived and Hunsley was arrested for assaulting Baker. 

Evasive testimony

Hunsley was evasive on several aspects of his testimony during cross-examination by defence lawyer Alex Pate. He refused to say who else he knew in the Eddy Street home on Jan. 4, only saying his "buddy" was there. 

"I'm just not telling you," Hunsley said. After the judge intervened, Hunsley added, "I can't remember which buddy it was."

Hunsley told Pate that he was in Truro when he received the emergency alert that led to him driving to Amherst. He said he couldn't remember who he was with at the time he received the alert. 

"I just knew that he was beating on another buddy's girlfriend," Hunsley said of Baker, without elaborating. 

Hunsley told Pate the Eddy Street home was a place people go to use drugs. Asked the type of drugs used, he said marijuana. 

Pate returned to ask how he knew Baker would be at the home. 

"A lucky guess," Hunsley replied. 

Earlier Friday, Codiac Regional RCMP Const. Yves Richard testified he was looking for Baker on Jan. 5, before the shooting. Richard said a warrant had been issued for Baker in August 2020 and he was a suspect in other crimes.

Richard said he spoke to Baker's mother at a school where she works, then he decided to patrol near a location on Birchmount Drive in Moncton where Baker was known to go. 

Richard said he was driving away from the area around 4 p.m. when he saw Baker driving a car. He said the car appeared to match one reported stolen the day before.

Richard testified that he called for backup and tried to observe Baker, but eventually lost sight of him. Around 5:14 p.m., Richard said he heard the call on the police radio about the Riverview shooting.

On Thursday, a friend of Baker testified he had come to her apartment on Birchmount around 5 p.m. and dropped off his girlfriend. She described Baker as "frantic" and rushed, coming back about an hour later to pick up his girlfriend. 

Hunsley was the last witness called in the trial for the week. The last three Crown witnesses are expected to testify Monday.

Baker admits he shot Leger, but Pate has indicated the defence will challenge whether his level of intoxication affected his ability to form the necessary intent to commit a crime. 

Pate has indicated he will seek an adjournment to find an expert witness on that issue. 

Justice Richard Petrie said he would hear arguments about whether to grant that adjournment after the Crown witness testimony concludes Monday.