For the second time, another Crown witness was reluctant to testify at the murder trial involving the shocking death of a man found in a barrel.
Shane Cameron, 44, of London told the court that he had met the victim Grant Norton on a couple of occasions.
Asked by Crown attorney Lisa Defoe if he was there on the night Norton was killed and he responded, “I’ve been on drugs so long I have memory loss.”
Cameron told the jury that he’s been addicted to drugs for more than 20 years and is now hooked on fentanyl.
He said he is a father of 8 children with three different women and that by testifying at the trial he fears for the safety of his family.
Cameron said he doesn’t know the accused in this case, Ashley Bourget, but may have met her once.
After several minutes, the Crown asked that the jury be dismissed for the day while both sides engage in legal arguments regarding Cameron’s evidence.
The body of Grant Norton, who was known to sell drugs, was found stuffed in a barrel down a ravine by the Thames River in July of 2020.
It was located not far from the home of the accused in the Jacqueline and Ada Streets area of east London.
Charged several days later, the 40-year-old Bourget has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in this case.
Earlier in the day, the court heard forensic evidence that methamphetamine was found in the system of the victim.
The trial resumes on Friday.
