Lawyers presented their closing statements last week in the trial of Carleton law student Abdulhamid Wehbe who is charged with manslaughter.
On Dec. 6, 2010, Ottawa teen Yazdan Ghiasi was shot after a drug deal for $15,000 worth of marijuana took a turn for the worse. Wehbe has been charged with manslaughter in connection to the case.
Wehbe admitted to driving his cousin, alleged shooter Mohamed Wehbe, to Ghiasi’s Booth Street house to buy the drugs, but he insisted he had no idea his cousin did not intend to pay for them.
In order to pursue the charge of manslaughter, the Crown is trying to prove that Wehbe knew in advance that the plan involved taking the drugs without paying for them.
Crown prosecutor Mark Holmes presented evidence in the form of text messages exchanged between Wehbe, his cousin, and others connected to the drug deal.
Holmes argued that one in particular that was sent to Wehbe and read, “Yo. Go scoop my thing from Stinky’s,” suggests that he may have brought the gun to the drug deal, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Wehbe has denied connection to the gun, testifying that he does not remember what the “thing” was that his cousin was referring to in the text message.
He also denied Holmes’ suggestion that he was an experienced dealer, but did admit to dealing small amounts of marijuana to friends prior to the Dec. 6 shooting, according to the Citizen.
According to the same article, Wehbe’s defence lawyer argued that the evidence is too speculative, leaving a “glaring hole in the middle of this case.”
Ontario Justice Hugh Fraser will decide the outcome of the case at the end of March.
