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Pynn-Butler trial: Witness under scrutiny in Supreme Court

For the second day in a row, the tables were turned at the trial for two St. John's men accused of second-degree murder.
Megan Reddigan, 23, was cross-examined at Supreme Court in St. John's on Wednesday in the second-degree murder trial for Philip Pynn and Lyndon Butler. (CBC)

For the second day in a row, the tables were turned at the trial for two St. John's men accused of second-degree murder. 

Philip Pynn and Lyndon Butler are being tried in the shooting death of Nick Winsor, 20, in July 2011. 

But it was a Crown witness who appeared to be on trial at Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Megan Reddigan, 23, who lived with her mother and Tom "Billy" Power on the property where Winsor was killed, took the stand at Supreme Court for her second day of testimony. 

On Tuesday, the court learned Reddigan's step-father, Power, was being investigated by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary for reportedly stashing drugs in two plastic bags Reddigan left the home with on the night Winsor was shot.

'My mom told me to leave, so I left.- Megan Reddigan

Surveillance camera footage shows Reddigan running to her car with two large plastic bags, just moments before police arrived at the scene.

Jeff Brace, who represents Lyndon Butler, cross-examined Reddigan on Wednesday.

"On September 5 Billy advised police there were drugs in those bags," Brace said.

Reddigan responded, "OK."

Drugs removed from scene

She went on to tell the court she had no knowledge of Power's admission to police, or that drugs were in the bags she carried out.

"I know when I opened those bags that there was clothes in it," said Reddigan.

She testified that she had piled her own clothes in the bags, just minutes after Winsor was shot dead.
Philip Pynn is one of two men charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Nick Winsor in 2011. (CBC)

"I was very, very scared and wanted to get out of there," she said.

"My mom told me to leave, so I left."

Brace suggested that Reddigan could be seen in video surveillance footage from that night carrying something in her hand while leaving the garage, where Winsor's body was.

However, Reddigan said she has no recollection of having anything in her hands and denied putting anything from the garage in the bags along with her clothes.

Barrel of a gun

Reddigan also told the court that one of the people in the getaway car had pointed a gun at her while they were driving away from the scene.

According to Reddigan at the beginning of her testimony, she could only see the barrel of the gun pointing out of the back passenger side window.

She said she took cover behind her car, parked in the driveway.

The defence pointed out Wednesday that surveillance video refutes her claim that she hid.

Reddigan later said she was traumatized by the events of the night.

Police statement

During Brace's cross-examination, he asked the witness, "Do you know Lyndon [Butler], by the way?"

Lyndon Butler was named by Megan Reddigan in a statement she gave to police in 2011. Butler is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Nick Winsor. (CBC)

Reddigan said she didn't know Butler, but she was aware of a feud between her boyfriend and Butler's family.

During a police interview in 2011, Reddigan gave police Butler's name.

She also mentioned Jerry Kinsella, who has a star tattoo on his face similar to Pynn's.

Brace showed the court a photo line-up with Kinsella in it.

Although Reddigan was at the scene that night, she said she didn't see anyone's faces - other than her mothers and Powers.

The trial, set to continue on Thursday morning, is in its second of eight weeks.

CBC's Ariana Kelland tweeted live from the courtroom on Wednesday.