A Mississauga man accused of murdering a drug dealer during an attempted robbery inside a Rathburn Rd. apartment testified in court yesterday that it was his friend who delivered the fatal stab wound.
Etienne Martin, 22, testified that he went to the apartment on July 13, 2005 with his friend, Lionel Brown, who was going to purchase drugs for him from Lamar Philip, 20.
Martin said he had no idea that a robbery was about to unfold, and that it was Brown who was armed with a knife and killed Philip during a struggle.
Martin has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.
Three weeks ago, Brown testified as a Crown witness against Martin. Brown, who is serving a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to manslaughter in Philip's death, told jurors that although he concocted the plan to rob Philip, it was Martin who killed him.
Brown was charged with murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for his testimony against Martin.
When Philip became angry after the robbery and got into a verbal and physical altercation with the two men, Martin stabbed him, Brown said.
Crown prosecutor Brian McGuire said Philip died from a knife wound to his heart, and that Martin's thumb was also cut during the fight. Furthermore, Martin left a trail of blood – later linked to him by DNA – from the crime scene to a ground floor exit door at the apartment building.
Martin said on Thursday that he cut his hand when Brown accidentally sliced him with the knife as Martin was leaving the scene.
As he started to run away up the stairwell stairs, Martin saw Philip grab Brown's right hand with his left hand.
Martin said Brown then fell forward towards Philip and demonstrated to the jury how the knife plunged into Philip's chest.
"It happened fast," he said.
lrosella@mississauga.net