Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

John Ike Koopmans at an earlier court appearance

The man accused of shooting three people in the Princeton area two years ago to the day continued to deny any involvement in the incident, Monday, in Penticton court.

John Ike Koopmans stuck to testimony he has given throughout questioning by defence lawyer Don Skogstad and cross examination by Crown counsel Frank Dubenski.

Koopmans is accused of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Robert Keith Wharton, 43, and Rosemary Fox, 32, and the attempted murder of Bradley Martin, 50, on March 30, 2013, near Princeton.

When asked by Dubenski if Wharton selling things that belonged to him, chronic pain and an argument with his girlfriend were all on his mind at the time of the incident, Koopmans responded "no."

Crown's suggestion someone had offered him money to kill Wharton, met with the same response.

The accused told court Wharton used crack cocaine daily.

He said Wharton seemed able to work just fine, and when Crown asked how it was affecting Wharton, Koopmans said he was not with him on a daily basis.

The pair were good friends, he testified, and Koopmans said he helped Wharton pass a urine test for a potential employer. When Dubenski suggested that perhaps it would have been better to help him get off drugs, Koopmans said he thought if Wharton got the job, he would get off drugs.

On the night of the shooting, the accused admitted he was drunk and overreacted to his former girlfriend Elaine Hoiland being angry about a loan for cigarettes. But despite the alcohol consumption, he said he knew what he was doing.

Dubenski suggested Koopmans made up the story that Wharton got a sliver through his gloves and his dog sneezed blood on them, suggesting instead the blood got on him because he shot Wharton. 

Koopmans was quick to deny the allegation.

Crown questioned his story about walking past Whartons' property, seeing the lights out and going on to another acquaintance, then returning to see police cars there.

Dubenski said "your good friend has police cars outside, and you don't check what was going on?" Koopmans responded no, that he didn't want to get involved in what he thought was a drug bust.

Koopmans denied there being any tensions between the two of them or that he was thinking about killing Wharton.

On the night in question, Crown said he was going there to settle the score for a break in. But Koopmans said he was going there to have some drinks.

When Crown suggested he felt betrayed by a friend, Koopmans denied it, but did admit to being angry his place was broken into.

Dubenski suggested he was going there to confront Wharton.

Koopmans denied he was there to shoot the three and said they were his friends. He said he had no reason to hate Wharton or be angry with him.

Koopmans' sister, Flora Balducci, took the witness stand at the end of the day, Monday. She told court her brother was even tempered, non-violent and not prone to making threats.