The lawyer for Dalhousie medical student William Sandeson told the court Monday his client is not a “criminal mastermind” when presenting the defence’s closing arguments.
Sandeson, 24, stands accused of killing Taylor Samson, 22, a fellow Dalhousie student in August 2015.
Samson’s body has never been found.
WATCH: William Sandeson chooses not to testify, defence closes its case in murder trial
Eugene Tan started off his closing remarks by saying if the jury finds his client guilty of first-degree murder, they need to determine that Sandeson’s alleged actions were planned and deliberate.
Tan said the Crown’s theory is that Sandeson lured Samson to his apartment on Henry Street in Halifax on the night of Aug. 15, 2015 to kill him and steal his drugs.
The defence said not only were there inconsistencies with the Crown’s theory but there were shortcomings in the police investigation and that some of the forensic evidence in the case doesn’t match up.
READ: William Sandeson murder trial hears police searched family farm looking for body
Tan said that two witnesses – Pookiel McCabe and Justin Blades – both testified that Sandeson was incoherent and unable to form words when he came to McCabe’s door following a loud bang.
McCabe previously testified that he lived across the hallway from Sandeson in the summer of 2015.
Tan told the jury it didn’t make sense for someone who had planned to kill someone else to act that way.
“The Crown has sort of said repeatedly that there was a plan in place and that he executed that plan and pointed out the fact that there were a lot of things that one would not expect somebody who had planned things out to a great deal to have done,” he said.
WATCH:Former teammate of William Sandeson tells court he saw bleeding man, bloody cash
Tan told the jury to think about the surveillance video that Sandeson had set up inside his apartment building.
He said if his client was a criminal mastermind and the one who controls the video “why on earth” would he record the pair walking into this apartment together.
He also pointed out that Sandeson went to the police station to speak with them about the investigation and voluntarily re-downloaded a texting app that he had used to communicate with Samson about an alleged drug deal.
READ:Last images of Taylor Samson shown to jury in William Sandeson murder trial
Tan also asked the jury to think about what kind of criminal mastermind leaves pieces of evidence in obvious places – like 20 pounds of marijuana that was located at Sandeson’s younger brother’s apartment and clean up items found at his families farm in Lower Truro, N.S.
The defence characterized those actions as someone who is emotional and not a “cold blooded killer.”
Tan told the jury that if the circumstances of the case weren’t so serious, the Crown’s theory of Sandeson being a criminal mastermind would “border on ridiculous.”
READ MORE: Court hears bag found in ice cream truck at Sandeson farm smelled like decomposition
Tan told the jury that Sandeson was quite emotional at times when he was being questioned by police about Samson’s disappearance and although he gave different versions of what happened that night to investigators, there was always a third party involved.
Tan said police handled evidence “incredibly poorly” in this case, citing several examples – including the fact that the blood spatter expert never actually examined the gun seized from Sandeson’s apartment, only photographs.
WATCH: Jury in William Sandeson murder trial sees police interrogation video
Tan told the jury there were three DNA profiles found on a large black duffel bag entered as evidence in the trial.
He also pointed out that police officers held Sandeson’s apartment – while sitting at the kitchen table and using the washroom – for hours while they waited for a search warrant.
Tan said that the Crown was trying to make the evidence fit their theory of what happened.
READ: Taylor Samson’s DNA found on items seized from Sandeson’s apartment, murder trial hears
Tan said the Crown’s motive for the murder — that Sandeson needed money — didn’t make sense.
“Mr. Sandeson did have available to him, certain sums of money through credit and credit lines whatnot that he did appear to be in any significant debt,” Tan told reporters.
“It appears to contradict what the Crown theory is completely, that he was motivated by financial need or greed.”
In closing his remarks, Tan told the jury that there was a violent incident that took place inside Sandeson’s apartment on Aug. 15, 2015 – but that as Sandeson had previously told police, there were other people there at the time.
Tan also told the jury that someone can clean up a crime scene without being involved in a murder.
READ: William Sandeson says during interrogation video intruders may have shot Taylor Samson
William Sandeson’s mother, father, two of his brothers and his ex-girlfriend were in court Monday for the proceedings. It was the first time since the trial started more than eight weeks ago that his family was present.
The trial has been attracting spectators who have been following the developments online.
On Monday, there were so many people in attendance that not everyone could fit inside the courtroom, with more than two dozens people left outside in the lobby area because there wasn’t enough room.
READ: Answers to commonly asked questions about the Sandeson murder trial
The Crown is scheduled to give their closing arguments Tuesday morning, with the judge delivering his final instructions on Thursday.
Once the instructions are given to the jury, deliberations will begin.
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