Verdict reached in Barrie murder trial
Warning: Details and images used in this article may be disturbing to some readers.
Abad Shire, the man on trial for the stabbing death of a Barrie man in 2019, has been found guilty of second-degree murder.
A jury of six men and six women handed down their verdict Thursday morning for the death of Ryan Babineau, who died after suffering nearly 70 stab wounds and lacerations.
Following the verdict, eight jury members recommended Shire be ineligible for parole for the maximum of 25 years. The remaining jurors did not make a recommendation to the court.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for next month.
During the three-week trial, court heard Shire and another man, Cory Greavette, went into Babineau's Dunlop Street apartment on the morning of November 16, 2019.
Twelve minutes after arriving, Shire, Greavette, and one other, Tyler Wren, were caught on surveillance video driving away.
Greavette has since pleaded guilty to manslaughter and been sentenced to nine years behind bars, minus time served.
Last week, Shire took the stand in his defence, telling the jury he was in jail for a crime he never committed, pointing the finger at Greavette, saying he attacked Babineau alone.
However, the Crown argued Shire and Greavette stabbed Babineau in the chest, legs, back and face, causing sharp-force injuries to major organs.
Babineau died of significant blood loss, a forensic expert concluded.
The Crown called on a woman who testified she watched Shire, who she knew as Jeremy, stab Babineau in front of a group of people who were in the apartment before threatening to kill them and their families if they spoke of what they saw.
The defence argued the woman's testimony was "dangerous," noting inconsistencies in her story and trying to convince the jury her memory was unreliable.
A forensic scientist who examined the vehicle testified that a mixed blood sample found on the passenger-side door belonged to the victim and Shire.
The court heard police arrested Shire in North Bay days after Babineau died. They said Shire had injuries to his hand and fingers.
A knife found at the scene was sampled for DNA, but the sample collected couldn't be traced back to Shire.
He has been in custody since his arrest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.