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Jurors see video of Kevin Addison's mother at murder trial

NANAIMO – Testimony in April 2014 Nanaimo Western Forest Products mill shooting trial concluded Friday.
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On the final day of testimony in the Nanaimo Western Forest Products mill shooting trial

Financial issues and the loss of his father were some of the issues affecting Kevin Douglas Addison, jurors learned in his B.C. Supreme Court trial Friday.

Addison, 49, was arrested for the April 30, 2014 shooting at Western Forest Products' downtown Nanaimo mill and charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Michael Lunn and Fred McEachern and two counts of attempted murder on Earl Kelly and Tony Sudar.

Following an aggressive cross-examination of Addison by Scott Van Alstine, Crown counsel, Thursday and Friday morning, John Gustafson, defence counsel, played video of an RCMP statement by Lorraine Addison, the accused's late mother, the day of the incident.

Testimony from Kevin Addison and Dr. Robin Love, his family doctor, said that Kevin suffered from depression. Lorraine Addison said it was something that ran in her family, with Kevin Addison's grandmother, aunt and cousins.

Earlier in the trial, police had testified that collection notices were found at Kevin Addison's residence. Lorraine Addison said financial issues were something her son couldn't “get out from under.” She said he didn't want to declare bankruptcy, but that he had to do something for the people he owed money to.

She said that her son loved his daughter and was jealous of his siblings because they could afford to take their children on vacations, and he couldn't.

She recounted that during a hunting trip 20 years ago, her son found his dad on the ground unconscious. They brought his father to a truck, were driving to Cranbrook when a tire blew and his father passed away. It was something she said her son felt guilty about and he wasn't the same since.

The video also showed Addison recording a message to her son, where she told him that she loved him and she was sorry that "everything had to come to this" for him.

"I hope you're OK and you know that we all stand behind you and we love you so much," she said.

Lunn's wife Marlene said she felt for Lorraine Addison.

"I'm a mother, too. I get it. That's really heart breaking especially when she's not around anymore. Absolutely I feel for that family," Lunn said.

Closing arguments are scheduled to take place Monday afternoon.



Karl Yu

About the Author: Karl Yu

After interning at Vancouver Metro free daily newspaper, I joined Black Press in 2010.
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