By Canadian Press

Crown wraps up case against suspect in Calgary Stampeder shooting

Dec 10, 2018 | 3:40 PM

CALGARY — The prosecution has wrapped up its case against the man accused of fatally shooting a member of the Calgary Stampeders two years ago.

The Crown called four witnesses Monday in the second-degree murder trial of Nelson Lugela.

Lugela, 21, was charged after Mylan Hicks was shot in the chest and the abdomen in the early hours of Sept. 25, 2016, outside the Marquee Beer Market.

Between 15 and 25 members of the football team had been at the bar celebrating a last-minute victory over Winnipeg hours earlier. Testimony has heard there was an altercation over a spilled drink earlier in the evening which reignited in the parking lot after the club closed.

Several members of the CFL team testified at the trial.

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In testimony Monday Calgary Police Det. Ken Carriere described searching a back alley near the location Lugela and two friends had parked their car after the shooting when he saw a footprint near a bunch of recycling bins and looked inside.

“On top there was a box for a lamp, both sides were closed, yet there seemed to be a hole in the middle,” he said.

“I used one finger to kind of lift up the box and I heard a clunk inside. I turned my head down to try to get to see further into the box. I saw what I called the gun metal grey and some ribbing. I immediately believed it to be a firearm.”

Sgt. John Medlicott did an interview the day of the shooting with Darwin Concepcion who ended up testifying against Lugela for the Crown.

“Originally Mr. Concepcion said he didn’t know anything about a firearm at all. We were determining if he was a suspect or a witness,” said Medlicott.

“Darwin’s cooperation level changed at one point in the interview. He recognized the seriousness and the jeopardy of the situation. He decided he was going to become a cooperative, forthwith witness and wanted to tell where the firearm was located.”

Firearm and tool-mark expert Darryl Barr examined the shell casings and the slugs from the firearm used in the shooting.

Barr said he was “very confident” that the shell casings for the Kimber 9 mm semi-automatic was a match.

He said an examination of the slugs themselves was inconclusive.

Lugela’s defence lawyer Alain Hepner said he expected to call one or two witnesses Tuesday.

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Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press