Halifax jury shown photos of wounds on body of former med student accused of murder

HALIFAX — A former Halifax university student on trial for killing another student during a drug deal completed his testimony Thursday, insisting he had no plan to kill anyone and that he shot the other man in self-defence.

William Sandeson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the 2015 death of Dalhousie University physics student Taylor Samson, who was 22 when he was shot to death in Sandeson's apartment.

Earlier this week, Sandeson told a Nova Scotia Supreme Court jury he fired his gun at Samson when the drug dealer lunged at him during a violent dispute over nine kilograms of marijuana worth $40,000. Samson had intended to sell the drugs to Sandeson.

The Crown is arguing that Sandeson, also a drug dealer, had planned to kill Samson and steal his marijuana because the accused was deep in debt and needed the money to pay for medical school -- allegations Sandeson has firmly denied.

"I'm suggesting to you, Mr. Sandeson, that you set Taylor (Samson) up to kill him," Crown prosecutor Carla Ball told Sandeson on Thursday, but he disagreed.

"I pulled the trigger, but I never wanted to hurt anyone that night," he said.

Sandeson testified that at one point, he and Samson -- a much larger man -- wrestled for control of Sandeson's 9-mm handgun, but Sandeson said he managed to break free and point the firearm at the other man.

During cross-examination Thursday, Ball showed Sandeson a series of police photographs taken three days later showing wounds on his shirtless upper body. Sandeson pointed to bruises and scratches on his hands, which he said were caused by the struggle for the gun on the night of Aug. 15, 2015. And he pointed to bruising behind one of his ears, which he could not explain.

He also noted bruising around his right shoulder, which he said was caused by carrying a large bag that at one point contained Samson's body, which has yet to be found. Aside from those injuries, the photos showed no other wounds.

"Mr. Samson was much bigger than you," Ball said. "You must have felt that."

Sandeson said he felt "dominated and scared."

Sandeson is five feet nine inches, and at the time weighed 150 pounds, while Samson stood more that six feet tall and weighed 220 pounds, the court heard.

On Wednesday, Sandeson described the struggle in detail, saying his handgun was in the front pocket of his jeans when Samson tried to grab the weapon.

"I'm spinning away as he tries to take the gun from me, trying to keep my body between him and the gun that's on my hip," he testified. "Both of us had our hands on the gun at varying points .... We're wrestling for control of the gun .... At one point, he has both of his arms around me."

Sandeson said he was lifted off his feet at one point and then pressed against the kitchen table while he kept the gun away from Samson.

"I'm kicking backwards," he said. "I'm trying to stomp at his feet, kick at his legs, between his legs to get him off of me and eventually, he lets go of me and he's laughing."

At that point, Sandeson backed away, pointed the gun at Samson and told him to leave. Samson sat down and asked if Sandeson's "pretty girlfriend" was at home. He then said, "You're done," as he rose and lunged at him, the accused told the court.

"I pulled the trigger," Sandeson said. "He stopped coming towards me and I went deaf for a second."

On Thursday, Sandeson told defence lawyer Alison Craig that he could not recall any punching or hitting during the fight for the gun.

Summing up the Crown's case, Ball presented a long list of suggestions to Sandeson.

Among other things, Ball suggested Sandeson had told his father in August 2015 that he planned to have a $78,000 line of credit paid off within a month. She said Sandeson had planned to lure Samson to his apartment, where he would kill him and steal the drugs he was carrying.

Sandeson denied each suggestion, including Ball's assertion that he fired a bullet through the back of Samson's head soon after he arrived at the apartment.

"You knew you had succeeded in your plan at that moment," the Crown lawyer said.

"No," Sandeson replied.

Ball pressed on. "I'm going to suggest to you that you placed him in the bathtub, which you confirmed, and you dismembered him."

"No, I never did," he said.

Earlier in the trial, Sandeson confirmed that he dumped Samson's body among some garbage bags in a tidal river near Truro, N.S., that feeds the Bay of Fundy.

The trial, which concluded its fifth week on Thursday, resumes on Monday when defence lawyer Alison Craig may call some additional witnesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2023.