An Alberta man who testified he acted in self defence when he killed two people on a ranch south of Prince George two years ago could have turned and fled but chose to continue his attack, a Crown prosecutor proposed during a cross examination on Friday.
Michael James Bartley, 36, is facing two charges of first-degree murder in the March 16, 2010 deaths of Owen Thompson, 48, and Darren Hala, 45 on an isolated ranch south of Prince George.
He is also facing one count each of attempted murder and aggravated assault in an alleged attack on Thompson's common law wife, Cheryl Steeves, 48.
Thompson and Steeves had been growing marijuana in an outbuilding at the ranch about 100 kilometres south of Prince George. Bartley drove from Paradise Valley, Alta. with $17,500 to buy a portion of their crop, the court had heard.
Bartley had testified Thompson attacked him with a knife when he refused to come back a week later to purchase more of the product to help with their financial troubles.
Thompson said he owed Hala, who was a helping hand on the ranch, about $30,000 because of trouble meeting bill payments.
Thompson broke free and yelled "Darren, get the guns," Bartley testified, before he grabbed him again and they ended up on the ground with Thompson fatally wounded.
In cross examination Friday, Crown prosecutor Marie Louise Ahrens noted the altercation broke out near Bartley's truck, which had been started and was idling, moments before he was about to leave for his home.
"You just said your truck was running and was 15 feet away from you," Ahrens told Bartley. "You could've just run for your truck, got in and taken off for Alberta."
"In the heat of the moment, maybe I could've, yes," replied Bartley.
Bartley testified Thompson was wielding a pocketknife he gave him as a birthday present several months before but Steeves told the court in earlier testimony the accused was carrying a large hunting knife when he attacked her.
Ahrens referred to autopsy photos of Thompson showing two large wounds, one on each side of his neck, and asked Bartley how he could account for the injuries given the nature of the struggle.
"I'm not sure, everything happened so fast," Bartley replied.
Ahrens suggested Bartley had a similar opportunity with Hala, who had come up on Bartley from behind while Thompson was down, according to the defendant's testimony. She showed Bartley autopsy photos depicting a large wound to the side of Hala's neck.
Bartley also testified that after Hala was wounded and fled into the bush, Steeves came out of the house pointing a handgun at him and he took a swipe at her hand to make her drop the gun in a defensive move.
Steeves had testified she got hold of a gun only after Bartley chased her into the house and Ahrens suggested Bartley was not as disadvantaged as he maintained.
"You don't go to a gun fight with a knife, do you?" Ahrens said.
Bartley said he went into the house moments after Steeves retreated because he was gravely concerned for her and rifled through the kitchen and the computer room for paperwork showing the ranch's location so he could give directions to emergency personnel.
He said he asked Steeves for the address but she couldn't tell him but did agree Steeves was conscious enough to plead for her life.
He said he tried to turn on the home computer to contact authorities through Skype but when he couldn't, he kicked the modem. Steeves had testified the computer's cables were ripped out in an apparent attempt to cut off her only line of communication.
Bartley testified a friend who joined him on the trip from Paradise Valley the day before was in the truck sleeping off the effects of a bottle of vodka during the confrontation and urged him to flee rather than contact the police when Bartley was back in the truck.
Ahrens played a recording of Bartley apologizing to Steeves while giving a statement to police and asked why he did so if he was acting in self defence. Bartley said he apologized because a friend was dead and another was injured and lying in a hospital.
"I suggest to you, sir, that you killed these people on purpose," Ahrens said.
"No, I did not," Bartley replied.
Closing submissions are scheduled for Tuesday.
