The Crown telling the jury at the second-degree murder trial of Dennis Oland that the identity of the person who killed Richard Oland is known to them and they submit that person is his son Dennis Oland and it cannot be anyone else.
In the closing argument Crown prosecutor PJ Veniot argues “the only logical conclusion, inescapable conclusion, is that Dennis Oland killed his father.”
Veniot says that when Dennis Oland visited his father on July 6, 2011 his dire financial situation weighed heavily upon him and suggests that there was nowhere left for him to turn but to his father, a high-profile businessman with some $36-million to his name. Veniot arguing that during Dennis Oland’s second visit to his father’s office he brought up his money woes with his father.
Veniot says they submit that Richard Oland was killed between 5:44pm, when the secretary left the office at 52 Canterbury Street, and 6:36pm when Dennis Oland left. Veniot says shortly after arriving Dennis Oland was alone with his father. He says Dennis Oland was the last known person to see Richard Oland and the last known person with the opportunity to commit this crime. He says this was not a robbery, noting there was no forced entry and Richard Oland still had his Rolex and wallet on him and his BMW keys were on the floor beside him.
Despite being dry cleaned, Veniot argues the brown jacket Dennis Oland was wearing the day before Richard Oland’s bludgeoned body was discovered face down in a pool of blood in his investment firm office was able to provide forensic evidence which they suggest links Dennis with the murder. Veniot posing the question: why didn’t Dennis Oland just destroy the jacket? He says that would be more suspicious — it is the concept of hiding something in plain sight.
Justice Walsh will be delivering his charge to the jury on Tuesday when the trial resumes at 9:30am at the Saint John Law Courts. Once that is completed the jury will go into deliberations. There are currently 13 members and Walsh must discharge one of them by random draw.
CHSJ News reporter Laura Lyall is covering the Dennis Oland trial and is live-tweeting the proceedings from the courtroom. To follow along go to the CHSJ News Twitter page or the Wave News Twitter page.
