The mother of a Princeton shooting victim described asking the police to "please go help her son" on the night of his death, on the property where they lived.
Carol Wharton took the stand during the ongoing jury trial for John Ike Koopmans at the Penticton Courhouse.
Koopmans is facing first-degree murder charges in the deaths of 43-year-old Robert Keith Wharton and 32-year-old Rosemary Fox, and an attempted murder charge related to Bradley Martin. All of the charges stem from an incident on March 30, 2013, on the outskirts of Princeton.
Wharton, who lived in a fifth wheel at 331 Old Hedley Rd., said she hard two loud bangs that night and got up to investigate.
"It startled me enough to get up and go see what was going on," she said. "It was like bang, bang."
She knew it was coming from the modular where her son lived, so she put on shoes and a jacket and went to the home. She walked inside and it was in the bedroom that she discovered the pair laying on the bed.
Keith, the name he is referred to during the trial, was lying on his back on the bed, while Fox was on her stomach with her feet toward him.
She touched Fox and determined she was dead.
Her son was still breathing, with a gurgly sound in his throat, so she ran outside.
After looking for a phone, she went out to the road, where she saw two cars and policemen, as well as Martin.
She was put in the back of a car, where she made her plea of "please go help my son." She was told they couldn't because the property wasn't secure.
She asked to speak to Martin and was again told no.
An ambulance then arrived and took Martin to the hospital. She was also placed in an ambulance, all the while continuing to ask "please go help my son."
At the hospital, she saw Martin on a stretcher and was again told she couldn't talk to him.
Prior to describing the shooting scene, Wharton talked about the welding business on the property, run by her husband and son. It had begun deteriorating after her husband's death, and the family was facing financial difficulties.
She stated Keith and Fox were in a relationship and both had children from other relationships.
Koopmans stayed in a camper behind a shop on the property, and helped out with the business for a minimum wage, along with some liquor and food. She considered him a friend and knew he had property of his own.
One time, she went for a visit with her son and there were vehicles and equipment everywhere. She told the court the regional district had come out to the location and asked him to clean it up.
About two months prior to the shooting, Koopmans shared with her that he had cancer and was going to have chemotherapy.
Wharton said the relationship between Keith and Koopmans was good until the business went south.
On one occasion, police came to the property when Koopmans had come to remove items and was taking items Keith felt weren't his.
Bradley Martin also stayed on the property before the shooting.
Wharton recalled seeing marijuana use at the home and described Fox as a serious addict. She couldn't say if Koopmans was using drugs.
When Crown asked if she saw anything related to drug dealing, she said she didn't and that she would have done her best to stop it.
She was asked about guns being at the location and described different incidents regarding firearms.
Crown further asked if the witness became aware of an incident at Koopmans' property regarding the break in and theft of firearms. She said she might have heard from Keith about it.
During cross examination, defence lawyer Don Skogstad asked if Martin was a character, a bit strange, to which she responded, yes, he was different.
When asked how he came to live with Keith, she said he just kind of showed up.
Skogstad also asked questions about Fox's drug use, to which she said there were suspicions Fox did other drugs in addition to marijuana.
Regarding a question about Fox having another boyfriend, the witness said she didn't know.
Skogstad touched on things being sold on the property, which was in foreclosure proceedings, to pay drug debts.
She responded a certain amount was for drug debts.
In addition, Skogstad asked if she thought her son wouldn't tell her things so as not to worry her. She responded, absolutely.
The trial is expected to continue tomorrow with testimony from Martin.