By Tim Petruk, Kamloops This Week
A convicted murderer took the witness stand on Tuesday in a Kamloops courtroom, testifying against his co-accused in a deadly drive-by shooting more than six years ago.
Nick Larsen, 24, was shot to death in Blind Bay in the early-morning hours of June 1, 2011. Jordan Barnes and Jeremy Davis were arrested and charged with murder in 2014.
Barnes pleaded guilty in 2016 and was handed an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 10 years. Davis鈥� trial began on Tuesday in B.C. Supreme Court, with Barnes wiping tears from his eyes while describing Larsen鈥檚 murder.
Barnes said he met Larsen hours before the murder while attempting to buy cocaine. Court heard Larsen kicked in the door of Barnes鈥� Sorrento home and pointed a handgun at him.
鈥淗e said I can鈥檛 be dealing in this town,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥滻 wanted to get half an ounce. He thought I was moving into his territory. I just remember seeing a gun and seeing red. I snapped.鈥�
Barnes said he was drunk at the time and had been using cocaine earlier in the evening. He also admitted to having sold marijuana and sometimes accepting firearms as payment.
鈥淚 was threatened,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淗e was saying I couldn鈥檛 sell drugs in that town because I wanted to buy a half ounce. It was a lot.鈥�
Barnes said he told Larsen to leave his house. He then phoned Davis, his friend, for a ride. According Barnes, he and Davis would 鈥済o shooting鈥� together, sometimes in a gravel pit near Sorrento.
鈥淚 wanted to go beat up Nick,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淭hat was my intention. I said I had a problem, shit went down at my house, my door was kicked in. 鈥� He [Davis] said he鈥檚 not far.鈥�
Davis picked Barnes up a short time later, court heard.
鈥淲e got on the highway and turned left on Blind Bay Road,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淚 said he鈥檚 in a red car. It didn鈥檛 take long at all before I鈥檇 seen the red car. I told him to pull in front of it.鈥�
According to Barnes, that鈥檚 when his intention to beat up Larsen changed.
鈥淚 had a baton in my hand,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I was going to use to hit him with. But when we slammed on the brakes, a gun slid out from under my seat.鈥�
Barnes said he grabbed the weapon and got out of Davis鈥� GMC Jimmy.
鈥淚 jumped out and started firing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was on the back of the truck holding on.鈥�
When asked by Crown prosecutor Neil Flanagan, Barnes could not recall the number of shots he fired, but said it was definitely more than one.
Barnes said he got back in the Jimmy and both vehicles fled.
鈥淒id Mr. Davis say anything to you?鈥� Flanagan asked.
鈥淵eah,鈥� Barnes replied. 鈥淗e was calling me an idiot. He asked me where I wanted to be dropped off. I said I knew a place to go.鈥�
Court heard Barnes had Davis drive him to a secluded rural property where his friend lived. Barnes said he hid the gun inside an RV he stored on the property, then went to sleep in his truck, which was parked nearby.
Following Barnes鈥� testimony, the trial is scheduled to resume in April.
Davis remains free on bail.
