William Sandeson testifies at his murder trial, talks about plan to confront Taylor Samson – Halifax | 24CA News

The defence opened its case in William Sandeson‘s first-degree murder trial Monday, saying he acted in self-defence when he killed Taylor Samson in the summer of 2015.

Sandeson’s lawyer, Alison Craig, advised the courtroom there may be “no dispute” that Sandeson shot Samson, killing him, however mentioned he didn’t intend to finish his life.

Sandeson, now 30, is accused of killing 22-year-old Samson throughout a 20-pound hashish deal in the summertime of 2015.

Samson was final seen on safety footage getting into Sandeson’s residence the night of Aug. 15 of that 12 months. His physique has by no means been discovered.

Sandeson took the stand in his personal defence Monday, which opened the fifth week of the trial.

During his testimony, Sandeson mentioned he started promoting hashish in the summertime of 2014. At the time of Samson’s dying the next 12 months, he was promoting hashish, magic mushrooms and MDMA out of his residence on Henry Street.

While he had debt, Sandeson mentioned he was “doing very well” financially, making about $8,000 monthly by way of drug offers and three jobs.

Sandeson mentioned he obtained a gun license in 2015, as a result of he mentioned the folks he “dealt with” in Montreal had been “uncomfortable” with him driving forwards and backwards between Halifax and Montreal with out safety.

After shopping for his gun, Sandeson mentioned he introduced it to Montreal as soon as and to the gun vary twice. Other than that, “it didn’t leave my safe” in his bed room, he mentioned.

Sandeson mentioned he didn’t need folks to know he had a gun, as he didn’t need any of his mates or acquaintances dealing with it or “playing with it.”

Sandeson mentioned he met Samson a complete of thrice. The first time they met was on Aug. 5, 2015 after being launched by a person named “Jeff,” whom Sandeson knew by way of the drug commerce.

Sandeson advised the court docket that he was on the lookout for somebody who would deal hashish in items of 20 kilos, that he was uninterested in the commute to Montreal and seeking to “wrap up my drug dealing in Halifax.”

He mentioned he spoke with “everyone I knew dealing in pound quantities” to search out somebody who may provide 20 kilos. Samson dealt in these portions, Sandeson testified.

After an preliminary introduction at Jeff’s residence on Aug. 5, Sandeson mentioned he met Samson for the second time on Aug. 13. The two met at Samson’s residence on South Street, the place he checked out Samson’s merchandise and mentioned costs.

Sandeson mentioned he was capable of negotiate the worth to $2,000 per pound — down from $2,100 — on a lower-grade pressure of weed, however he mentioned no commitments had been made that evening.

Expressing a concern of being robbed, Sandeson mentioned he typically pretended to work for another person for his personal security — “people wouldn’t necessarily want to follow around and rob an intermediary who’s working on behalf of other people,” he mentioned — and advised Samson that he would want to seek the advice of the particular person he represented, who didn’t truly exist.

He and Samson texted one another throughout Aug. 14, and a deal finally got here collectively on Aug. 15.

The evening of Samson’s dying

That evening, Sandeson mentioned he went out to dinner together with his girlfriend on the time, Sonja Gashus, round 7 or 8 p.m.

He mentioned she had plans later to observe a TV present with one in every of her mates, which might give him time to do the cope with Samson, he testified.

However, Sandeson mentioned he “wasn’t entirely convinced” that he wished to satisfy up with Samson. He mentioned Samson was “speeding things up on short notice” and wished to promote extra weed than was initially mentioned.

Sandeson defined the 2 had beforehand talked about shifting 5 to 10 kilos of hashish at a time, however Samson indicated on Aug. 15 that he had 20 kilos able to go.

Sandeson mentioned he felt safer when “there’d be less money and drugs in one place at any one time.”

He additionally advised the court docket that he advised Samson his residence was a “safe house” — not wanting Samson to know the place he lived — which Samson appeared “put off” by.

Sandeson mentioned whereas the deal was $40,000 for 20 kilos, he didn’t have all of the money with him on the time. Sandeson advised the court docket he was solely intending on giving Samson $10,000 that evening.

He mentioned he additionally deliberate to confront Samson about “something else that happened earlier in the week” — an alleged house invasion and theft at an acquaintance’s residence that Samson was purportedly concerned in.

After dinner, Sandeson mentioned he requested Gashus to park their automotive on the road, slightly than of their driveway, “to keep the car unassociated” with the residence.

“If in confronting Taylor, things ended on a sour note, I didn’t want him leaving with the thought in his mind that I lived there, or that the car was associated with me or that address,” he testified.

While Gashus beforehand testified that Sandeson had requested her to go away, Sandeson says he doesn’t recall asking her to go away.

However, he mentioned he believes he advised her {that a} drug assembly would happen “to end my involvement in drug trafficking.”

Sandeson mentioned after Gashus left to go to her mates’ place, he labored to “anonymize” the residence — eradicating and hiding any references to himself and Dalhousie University.

He additionally ready his residence for a possible theft, hiding his money and MDMA. He mentioned he had theft on his thoughts as a result of Jordan MacEwan, whose house was allegedly invaded and robbed by Samson, had warned him the day gone by.

A lunch break was known as within the courtroom earlier than Sandeson started speaking about what occurred when Samson arrived. Court will reconvene shortly earlier than 2 p.m.

The Crown closed its case on Thursday. A complete of 107 reveals and about 40 witnesses had been offered to assist its case.

Prior to closing its case on Thursday, Crown attorneys Carla Ball and Kim McOnie submitted 16 admissions of truth — signed by themselves and Sandeson’s lawyer, Alison Craig.

Those admissions of truth embody:

• That the 20.9 kilos of inexperienced substance seized from Sandeson’s brother’s residence was in truth marijuana;
• That Sandeson had a sound firearm registration certificates for a 9mm Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun;
• That tidal bores and tide ranges in Truro space led HRP to consider Samson’s stays probably wouldn’t have been disposed of within the close by physique of water;
• That Sandeson owned a black Mazda Protege 5.

More to come back.

— with recordsdata from Callum Smith