Victim of shooting testifies leaving boots at door proves he was invited in
Brian Higgins | CBC News | Posted: June 26, 2017 8:02 PM | Last Updated: June 26, 2017
Brodie McQuaid takes stand in his own defence in Christmas Day shooting incident
A man who was shot during an argument in Pleasant Grove on Christmas Day, 2015 took the stand in his own defence Monday.
Brodie McQuaid and his co-accused Matthew Clarke are both on trial for break, enter and assault and have pleaded not guilty.
They're accused of arriving — uninvited — at the home of Matthew Misener and assaulting him.
Misener has already testified he picked up a rifle to protect himself against the two men and that they were shot during a scuffle. He's serving a one-year jail sentence for his role in the shooting.
Monday, Brodie McQuaid told a different story. He testified he had been good friends with Misener, and had been to his house hundreds of times before, often dropping by for a beer.
Boots off
The night of the shooting Misener and Clarke had been arguing over the phone, and Misener told them to come to his home "to settle this like men," McQuaid testified.
When they arrived, McQuaid said he knocked, walked inside and just like always, he took off his rubber boots at the door.
McQuaid's lawyer Brendan Hubley pointed to the boots at the door as proof that the two men had been invited over.
Once inside the home, McQuaid said Misener appeared from another room, carrying a .22-calibre rifle and threatened to shoot.
McQuaid said when he grabbed the barrel of the gun, it went off in his hand, followed by more shots to his gut and neck.
Clarke was shot in the buttocks.
- Witness told to 'hide the guns,' court hears in trial of 2 men shot in Christmas Day altercation
- Witness to Christmas Day shooting testifies at assault trial
'You didn't go there for egg nog and fruit cake'
Crown prosecutor Valerie Moore told court McQuaid and Clarke "went to the home looking for trouble, and found it."
"You didn't go there for egg nog and fruit cake," she told McQuaid under cross examination.
McQuaid's mother also took the stand Monday. She testified she arranged for the return of her son's boots following the incident.
Lawyers will return to P.E.I. Supreme Court Wednesday to sum up their arguments, in front of Justice Nancy Key.
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