The Crown is starting to cross-examine an Oak Bay man accused of second degree murder in the deaths of his two young daughters.
Andrew Berry is spending his third day on the stand at his trial in Vancouver.
The prosecution claims Berry killed his daughters Chloe, 6, and Aubrey, 4, before trying to commit suicide.
The bodies of the girls were found in Berry’s Oak Bay apartment on Christmas Day in 2016.
Berry has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Earlier in the day, Berry’s defence lawyer once again asked him if he had killed his daughters.
“No I did not kill my daughters I loved them very much I didn’t kill them,” Berry testified.
Instead, Berry says he was attacked and stabbed in the throat by an unidentified assailant and, when he came to, he found his two girls were dead.
Follow Luisa Alvarez on Twitter for more udpates
Defence has wrapped up their line of questioning for Andrew Berry and crown is getting ready to begin their cross-examination. #AndrewBerryTrial
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Berry asked by crown if he thought his suite was tossed by “the bad guys” and Berry replied "I don't know what happened"
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Describing the bag of drugs that was in his apartment Berry tells the court it was a paper bag grocery style that was rolled up and stapled. Crown asked him if it had a smell and Berry said no.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown is asking Berry why he thought he was already under arrest when he was in the hospital. "A guy in a room watching you all the time you are not allowed to leave you are under arrest that is what it feels like you have to stay and you are handcuffed to the bed"
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown suggests the handcuffs were made of fabric (as a nurse previously testified ) because he was detained under the mental health act. Berry denied that and told the jury "They were not fabric they were chains“
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asked if he had chains on when he was writing notes with his sister and Berry responds "there was a guy standing in your room do you need to be chained up as well?"
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown moved to the apartment and asked if all the blood which was found in the apartment ( bedrooms, kitchen, living room, doorway) was his blood and Berry responds "I don't know" but didn't take any issue with DNA evidence that it was only his and the girls.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
When asked if bloody footprints found in the living room were his Berry says they were not. Crown asking how he knows they were not his and Berry replied: "I didn't make it that far."
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown challenging him "But you don't remember so how do you know you didn't make it that far?" Crown pushing "could they be yours?"
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Berry insisting he doesn't remember what happened after the attack in the kitchen but that the footprints in the living room are not his.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown continued to press Berry "How can you be certain that the footprints were not yours? Berry replied: "I don't remember being in the living room"
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asked if the clothes found in the bathroom (jeans, shirt, socks) were his and if that was what he was wearing Christmas day and Berry responded that they were but "There's no underwear in there it's strange" and that he had taken his socks off coming into the apartment. 1/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
"I remember taking off my socks when I got undressed coming into the apartment my boots and socks"
Crown: "If those were your socks in the bathroom you don't know how they got there? "Yes" Berry replied.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Berry goes onto explain he couldn't wait to get his boots off in the hallway because the boots were a size too small and uncomfortable.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
and because they were small the socks came off with the boots.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asked Berry if there was anything about his testimony or details that he forgot to mention or didn't come out right Berry replied that he's moved on and it's stressful to be up there answering questions but he has tried his best to tell his story.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Berry being asked about money he had in bitcoin in November and what it was worth. He testified it was between 1-2 thousand. When asked why he didn't use that money to pay his hydro bill “I forgot about my hydro I forgot about paying my hydro bill and it got turned off “
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asked: “Was that not enough to pay your hydro? Berry replied: “ It was but I had other things to do and it was to last for a long time” Berry admitting he was content with living without hydro. 1/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Berry admits he was getting hydro bills but he didn't open them “I put them in the garbage or put them with other mail” When asked why he didn't open his mail Berry tells the jury he never opened his mail crown asked why not? “I don't know it’s a personality quirk” he replied.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
When asked by crown what he was feeding the girls Berry tells the court they ate oatmeal, instant potatoes, noodles, soups “we would also eat out, have food at the movies, subway” When asked how he paid for it he said he had gift cards he had bought.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asked him if he had anything fresh like vegetables and Berry responded he's not proud of it but no.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown pressed him on why since he had money from bitcoin to buy fresh food and turn the hydro back on Berry replied hydro doesn't just turn back on and it was something he could delay for the new year.. says Sarah and the girls knew and it was just like camping at his house.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asking Berry about Paul a loan shark he met 20 years ago at a casino on Broadway. Berry describes Paul as a tall Chinese man in his 50's. "What else can you tell us about Paul?" asked the crown. 1/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
"Not much I don't know his phone number, I don't know his address, I know you can get to him at the River Rock casino I don't know any details about him," testified Berry.2/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asked Berry if he agreed Paul's description could fit a lot of people in the Lower Mainland and Berry said yes.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Berry was asked about his relationship with Paul and what they talked about and Berry told the jury they mostly talked about him. "He wanted to just know about me I didn't really ask him anything back It was more of a business relationship more of a transaction type thing,".. 1/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
"It wasn't a friendship it was a transaction," Berry testified. 2/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 23, 2019
Crown asked Berry why he never told anyone not even his sister about Paul if he thought he may have had something to do with the murders. Berry clearly irritated on the stand told the jury "I only wanted to talk to a lawyer,".. 1/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 24, 2019
"She told me to only talk to a psychologist she couldn't help me that's it. Everyone including her thought I did it" Berry testified. 2/2
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 24, 2019
On Monday Berry testified that someone had thrown a rock through his apartment window because he owed Paul money. Today Berry told the jury he thought that was Paul's way of verifying his address. Berry told the court he willingly gave Paul his address cause he is an honest guy.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 24, 2019
Crown wanted to know why he would have his children home if that would put them in potential danger and Berry responded that he didn't think Paul would come over and do anything.
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 24, 2019
Cross-examination will continue on Monday at 10 am
— Luisa Alvarez (@LuisaAlvarez95) August 24, 2019
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