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
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.