Defence counsel accuses witness of being the one who stabbed Helix guitarist to death

The second-degree murder trial continues for Craig Allan in connection with the stabbing death of Daniel Fawcett. CTV London's Nick Paparella reports.

When the Crown witness first took the stand in this second-degree murder case, they wasted little time in pointing the finger at the accused Craig Allan, 50, for stabbing former Helix guitarist Danial Fawcett to death in a downtown London park.

The court heard that the 52-year-old Fawcett had been lured to Gibbons Park in the early morning hours of Nov. 6, 2022, by the witness who cannot be identified due to a publication ban put in place by the judge.

The witness has said that they were waiting for the victim at the park along with the accused and that both of them were drug dealers.

But under cross-examination, defence lawyer Carolynn Conron didn’t hold back, calling the witness a liar.

In a fiery exchange between the two, Conron asked, “You lied ... you minimized your involvement in the plan?”

The witness responded, “I lured a man into a park to his death, I don’t think that minimizes anything. He’s dead because of me.”

Conron then asked, “You’re right, because you’re the one who stabbed him?”

The witness laughed, “Ha, ha, really, that’s bright, that’s really bright. I’ll take a polygraph test on that one.”

Later, during another exchange, the defiant witness looked at the accused sitting in the prisoner’s box and his lawyer and said, “You’re going to spin this anyway you want. Come on Craig lets be honest here as you nod your head behind your lawyer. You’re off your rocker lady.”

Craig Allan would be arrested in the GTA, days after Fawcett’s body was found in the park with a stab wound to the heart.

He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

Before wrapping up the day’s testimony, the witness, who has a lengthy criminal record, said they sold crack cocaine, “We were both there, we both did this. I may not have put a knife into a human being, but at the end of the day there’s still a dead body.”

The trial and the Crown’s case resumes on Wednesday.