Khill found not guilty
Hamilton-area homeowner acquitted in shooting death of man
A Hamilton-area homeowner has been acquitted in the shooting death of a man who broke into his truck. Peter Khill, 28, admitted he shot Jon Styres but pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, saying he fired in self-defence when he thought Styres was pointing a gun at him. The trial heard that Styres, a 29-year-old father of two from Ohsweken, Ont., on the Six Nations reserve, did not have a gun at the time of the shooting. A jury acquitted Khill this morning after beginning deliberations Tuesday afternoon. Khill was stoic as the verdict was read out. His wife tearfully embraced family members in the front row of the court, while Styres’ friends and family consoled each other. Justice Stephen Glithero thanked both sides for their participation in what he called a tough and emotional trial. The incident took place in the early morning of Feb. 4, 2016. Khill and his girlfriend - now his wife - awoke to the sound of banging outside their rural home and saw Styres inside their truck parked outside, the jury was told. Khill loaded his shotgun, left the home through the back door, and cut through a breezeway between the house and the garage to confront Styres. Khill told police and a 911 operator that Styres raised his arms as though he were pointing a gun at Khill, the jury heard. Only after Khill shot Styres did his girlfriend call 911, court heard. At trial Khill testified that he had yelled at Styres to put his hands up and fired as Styres began to turn towards him. Styres was facing sideways with his hands at waist height when he was shot, Crown attorney Steve O’Brien told the jury during his closing statement. The Crown argued that Styres did not pose a reasonable threat to Khill and his girlfriend while they were inside their locked home, and that Khill should have called 911 and waited for police rather than run out of the house with a loaded shotgun. Defence lawyer Jeffrey Manishen told the jury Khill was simply following his training as a military reservist to “neutralize” a threat to his life.