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Kelowna  

Shooter takes the stand

A Kelowna jury has heard how a gun used in the killing of a Kelowna man belonged to the victim.

Chris Doering was shot to death by his friend John Aubin in August 2006 in the victim's Rowcliffe Avenue home.

Aubin is charged with second degree murder.

He took the stand Wednesday and told the jury he was close friends with Doering, but it was a rocky relationship. He says things began to deteriorate when Doering, a drug dealer, suggested that Aubin wasn't going to pay a drug debt. That conversation took place a few days before the shooting when Aubin was asking Doering for help after his truck broke down in Nelson. Meantime, Aubin was storing a sawed-off shotgun for Doering who was growing paranoid because of the large amount of marijuana he was keeping in the house -- up to 10 pounds.

Aubin admitted that he was upset with being stranded in Nelson and felt that Doering had let him down.

On the day of the shooting, Aubin retrieved the gun from storage and the money he owed Doering. Dressed in black slacks and white shirt, Aubin walked to Doering's home with the gun concealed under a trench coat.

Aubin says that Doering, who was entertaining some friends, appeared to be annoyed with Aubin and in a hurry to leave the house. Aubin says the gun was strapped to his left shoulder and that it was tied around the trigger-guard with twine. Aubin says he asked Doering why he didn't help him when his truck broke down? Aubin says he then showed the shotgun to Doering by opening his jacket and that Doering leaned toward the weapon when it went off. Aubin says he's not sure if Doering was trying to grab the gun to protect himself or if he was excited to see the weapon.

Aubin says that Doering said 'ow' when the gun went off and spun around before dropping to the floor.

"I was in complete shock. I was trying to get a rise out of him. Had I known what was going to happen, I wouldn't have brought-up the gun as quickly as I did."

Aubin, who claims he didn't know there was a shell in the gun's chamber, says witnesses to the shooting told him to leave the house.

"I didn't want to leave. I wanted to help Chris."

Aubin says he ditched the gun in some bushes in the Richter - Elliott area and ran to his mother's home where he immediately began to wash his hands. He says he's not sure why he was doing that. Aubin also threw away his clothes -- again, he's not sure why.

The jury could begin deliberations Thursday.


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