The trial of Steven Randy Pirko, who is charged in the 2014 killing of Christopher Ausman continued in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna Thursday.
Kelowna RCMP officer Cpl. Stuart Smith took the stand as a witness to the Nov.18, 2016 arrest of Pirko. A recording was played in court of the arrest. In the recording Pirko can be heard exclaiming “he wasn’t the suspect,” and Smith telling him he didn’t have to say anything right now and could retain a lawyer.
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Crown David Grabavac showed the jury pictures of clothing seized from Pirko’s home when a search warrant was carried out, which included a ball cap with the letter ‘P’ on it, a shirt with the word ‘cream’ written on it and a jacket. The items seized were the alleged clothing he was wearing at the time of the Ausman’s death.
Grabavac questioned Cpl. Smith about the articles of clothing and if the pictures shown were how the clothing looked when it was seized during the search warrant of Pirko’s home. Cpl. Smith confirmed the clothing matched those he had taken as evidence.
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Ausman’s body was found on the sidewalk along Highway 33 in the early hours of Jan. 25, 2014. Pirko was charged with second-degree murder in 2016 nearly three years after Ausman died.
The trial began on April 29 and is set to last eight weeks.
@LarynGilmour
laryn.gilmour@blackpress.ca
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