The man accused of setting a deadly fire at a downtown Prince George was seen on security cameras at about the time the blaze broke out, but beyond that Crown prosecution has fallen short of proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the lawyer defending the suspect argued during closing submissions for a trial on the matter.
Justin Kyle Aster faces three counts of criminal negligence causing death and one count each of arson in relation to an inhabited property and arson damaging property from the July 8, 2020 fire that killed three people staying at the Econo Lodge Motel at the corner of Victoria Street and Ninth Avenue.
In a closing statement, defence counsel Jason LeBlond said there is no dispute Aster was the one depicted in the videos but stressed that his client has denied setting the fire and that there is no direct evidence that he did so.
Instead, LeBlond argued there are "reasonable alternative inferences" that can be taken from the evidence presented over the course of the 12-day trial.
Investigators determined the blaze started in a pile of debris underneath a stairway at the east end of the motel's courtyard but were unable to conclude how the fire was ignited, LeBlond said, and noted that a security camera behind the motel showed other people passing through a breezeway to where fire broke out in the lead up.
LeBlond disagreed with Crown's views on Aster's "post offence conduct," arguing his client did not leave the area in a determined manner but rather showed much the same behaviour he did before going through the breezeway, namely moving about in a "wandering, meandering, cycling pattern."
As to Crown's claim Aster was less than forthright with police, LeBlond suggested Aster's memory of what happened on that day may not have been that good due to his heroin use.
In video captured when he left the Tim Hortons across the street from the motel, Aster appeared angry and complained to police that he had been mistreated but LeBlond said that occurred nearly an hour before smoke was seen coming from the Econo Lodge.
As to whether Aster held a grudge against the Econo Lodge, LeBlond admitted that his client complained to police that the people who ran the motel did not like natives but was also "clear that this did not affect him directly" and went on to say he had not stayed at the motel. However, in rebuttal, Crown prosecutor John Hempstead noted that further up in the statement, Aster replied he had stayed at the motel "a few times" when asked by police.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Margot Fleming plans to issued a verdict on Friday morning.
