Closing arguments began Wednesday in the trial of a man accused of shooting his pregnant ex-girlfriend in the stomach.
Carleton Stevens has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and possession of a prohibited firearm in the attack, which caused the six-and-a-half month pregnant victim to lose her baby on May 18, 2018.
On Wednesday, Crown counsel Henry Reiner told the court Stevens had the motive, opportunity and means to attack his ex, identified only as J.Y. due to a publication ban.
Reiner said Stevens had intended to kill both J.Y. and her unborn child.
“He had the motive. He created the opportunity and he brought the means,” said Reiner.
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Lovett was sleeping beside the victim in a loft above an East Vancouver print shop when Crown alleges Stevens entered and shot J.Y.
The court has already heard how the bullet severed J.Y.’s baby’s umbilical cord, causing it to die.
Crown’s case hinges on identifying Stevens as the person who shot J.Y.
Four witnesses, including the print shop’s owner Jeff Grayston and an employee, Dollie Middleton, testified earlier in the trial to seeing Stevens at the scene with a gun.
Middleton testified she saw Stevens fire a shot towards her, but no one saw him shoot J.Y.
J.Y. has testified that she awoke on the day of the shooting to see Stevens assembling the gun at the foot of her bed.
READ MORE: Pregnant woman who lost baby in Vancouver shooting testifies in accused shooter’s trial
Security video captured at the scene shows two men leaving the print shop under the loft in the minutes after the shooting, but J.Y. acknowledged on the stand that she can’t be 100 per cent sure he is one of the men in it.
Defence has maintained its position throughout the trial that someone else fired the shot.
Defence called no evidence during the trial, and Stevens did not take the stand.
Stevens’ defence is expected begin its closing arguments later this week.
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