The man accused of murdering a Prince George drug debt collector nearly seven years ago took to the stand Friday morning where he denied anything to do with the shooting.
Jesse Norman Sweder, 30, replied "No," when asked by defence lawyer James Heller if he shot Peter John Letendre.
When asked if he was at the scene, Sweder replied "No I wasn't." And asked if he has anything to do with the gun used in the shooting, Sweder replied "No, I have never even held up a pistol in any way."
Letendre was found dead Victoria Towers on 20th at Norwood during the early morning of Dec. 11, 2004. He was shot with nine-millimetre semi-automatic pistol, the court had been told earlier in the trial.
Sweder was arrested and charged with Letendre's murder in November 2008, slightly more than a year after taking credit for Letendre's murder when talking in a Fort St. John bar with an undercover officer posing as a full-patch biker.
During opening arguments, the jury was told Sweder did so as an act of bravado to self aggrandize himself and was not even living in Prince George at the time of Letendre's death.
"Have you ever killed anybody?" Heller asked Friday.
"No," Sweder responded.
Stressing he sold only powder cocaine and marijuana, Sweder did admit he was a drug dealer in Prince George and described himself as an "independent" with no affiliation to the gangs.
Sweder testified he got out of selling cocaine on the day of his birthday in March 2004 as a gang war over the city's drug trade was heating up and his health was fading due to his own consumption.
Once his brother finished school, Sweder testified they both left for the B.C. Peace to work in the oil patch where he went through a handful of jobs. Sweder said he "lied my face off" to get one job.
"I just said that I had a whole bunch of experience that I didn't have," Sweder said.
Sweder also gave testimony that conflicted with a description of him being fairly heavy and sporting a braided goatee and mustache and long hair, saying the most he's ever sported was a small unbraided goatee and short hair since he was about 16 years old.
Sweder, who is about six feet tall, said he weighed about 140 to 145 pounds when he quit doing cocaine and has weighed as much as 160 pounds while in custody although he has lost about 10 pounds since the trial began in mid-September.
Sweder expressed some familiarity with the other players allegedly related to the incident but described the relationship as arm's length at best, asserted he generally avoided the VLA and stayed away from crack cocaine.
An accused taking to the stand is unusual. The onus is on the Crown to present evidence that proves guilty beyond reasonable doubt, an accused is under no obligation to testify and when one does, he is exposed to cross examination by prosecuting lawyers.
