Officer testifies at trial for Edmonton convenience store murders: ‘He was gasping for air’

GRAPHIC WARNING: This story contains court evidence images that some may find disturbing.

The first police officer to arrive at an Edmonton Mac’s store on Dec. 18, 2015 found the clerk on the floor, bleeding and gasping for air.

Const. Phil Aube took the stand Thursday in the first-degree murder trial of one man charged in two deadly Mac’s convenience store robberies.

Two clerks — Karanpal Singh Bhangu and Ricky Cenabre — met the same fate minutes apart while working alone on a night shift at two different Mac’s convenience stores in south Edmonton on Dec. 18, 2015. Each clerk was robbed, beaten and shot dead.

READ MORE: 2 people killed 2 Edmonton convenience store workers on same night: Crown

Aube was the first officer to arrive on scene at about 3:37 a.m.

He told court he and another officer tried clearing the store but then saw Banghu and went to help him.

“I do recall he was gasping for air. His eyes were open. He was gasping for air but they were slow, shallow breaths.”

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Aube said he yelled to Bhangu: “Stay with me. Stay awake.”

“His eyes were continually closing as he was gasping for air.”

The police officer testified he lifted the man’s shirt and saw a hole in his front and one in his back.

“There was a large amount of blood pouring out of that hole,” he said of the one in Bhangu’s back.

Aube recalled how EMS arrived at the store and police moved the victim to a stretcher.

Previous testimony heard Bhanghu was unconscious by time EMS took over. He didn’t have a pulse but doctors tried to restart his heart — unsuccessfully, court heard. Bhangu died at 4:44 a.m.

Court heard police were dispatched to the scene after Bhangu hit a panic alarm that he was wearing around his neck. The alarm company called the store owner and police. Repeated calls to the store from police, the alarm company and the store owner went unanswered.

Laylin Delorme, 27, pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of robbery with a prohibited restricted firearm.

Two others are accused in these fatal robberies.

Watch below: A trial has begun for one of the three people charged with the murders of two Edmonton Mac’s store clerks. Fletcher Kent has more from court. GRAPHIC WARNING

1:22 Trial begins for man charged in Edmonton Mac’s store killings

— More to come…