The jury is now in the process of deciding Steven Randy Pirko’s fate.
The six-week trial came to a close last Friday and now the 12 person jury entered into deliberations around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
During the Crown and defence’s closing statements, Defence lawyer Jordan Watt claimed Pirko, who is charged with the 2014 killing of Christoper Ausman, was an alcoholic who didn’t act out of the norm in the situation he was in while defending his friend, Elrich Dyck.
Crown David Grabavac claimed Pirko admitted his guilt and he knew what he was doing when he hit Ausman in the head with the hammer multiple times.
If the jury decides Pirko was acting in defence, he won’t have to serve jail time, if jurors only side with the fact Pirko was intoxicated, he will still be charged with second-degree murder.
The decision could come later Thursday or Friday morning.
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