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Teen denies friend told him to shoot a drug dealer in Clyde Park
By Dianne Wood
News
KITCHENER — A teenager continued to deny Monday that a friend on trial for first-degree murder gave him the gun and told him to shoot a drug dealer in 2007.

The teen was testifying at the trial of Yousanthan Youvarajah in Superior Court in Kitchener. Youvarajah is charged with the fatal shooting of Andrew Freake, 19, at a park east of Cambridge on Oct. 11, 2007.

The teen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and was given a seven-year sentence. He can’t be named because he was 16 at the time of the killing.

When he took the stand last week, the teen denied the Crown’s allegation that Youvarajah directed him in the shooting.

He said he brought his own gun and decided to shoot Freake after Freake got angry with Youvarajah and several others during a meeting in Clyde Park to sell marijuana to Youvarajah.

Prosecutor Michael Townsend has told jurors he will prove that Youvarajah provided the gun and gave the order to shoot Freake because he was angry at Freake for shortchanging him in two cocaine buys.

After the teen’s denials last week, jurors were dismissed so legal matters could be discussed. On Monday, the prosecutor confronted the teen over differences between his guilty plea and his testimony in court.

The teen signed an agreed statement of facts read out at his plea on Sept. 17, 2009. He agreed at the time that the facts were accurate.

With the statement in hand, Townsend said the teen agreed last year that Youvarajah and others discussed robbing Freake after Freake shortchanged Youvarajah twice.

The teen disagreed, then said he didn’t recall.

“Is it possible it happened?’’ Townsend asked. “Could have,’’ the long-haired, bearded teen said.

He also couldn’t recall that Freake and a friend arrived at an apartment to meet with Youvarajah the day of the murder.

Townsend said the teen agreed during his plea that he let Freake in the building so Youvarajah could identify him as the man who shortchanged him.

“I don’t remember that happening,’’ he said.

He also disagreed that Youvarajah handed him a loaded handgun while they, and two others, were on their way in an SUV to meet Freake in the park. And Youvarajah did not tell him to shoot Freake at some point during the drug deal, he said.

He also denied that Youvarajah demanded he return the gun as they drove off after the murder.

The teen was in the front passenger seat of the SUV when he shot Freake in the chest after Freake approached the driver’s door.

 
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