Closing arguments wrap in drug-deal murder trial
Jury to weigh self-defence claim in December 2023 Forest Lawn shooting that left one dead, one injured.
The murder trial of Paulos Berhe entered its critical final phase Tuesday as Crown and defence lawyers delivered closing arguments in the December 2023 shooting death of Calgary resident Donald Lyons.
Berhe, 30, is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Lyons, 43, a Forest Lawn resident. The shooting also injured Lyons' girlfriend during what court has heard was a drug deal gone wrong. The defence is arguing self-defence, asserting Berhe acted in fear for his safety during the transaction.
Closing arguments from both sides have now concluded, and the jury is expected to begin deliberations. This phase of the trial is crucial: jurors will weigh evidence presented throughout the trial against the legal definitions of self-defence under Canadian law, which permits use of force only to the extent reasonably necessary to protect oneself from imminent harm.
The case has drawn attention for its intersection of drug-trade violence and the self-defence doctrine—questions juries in Alberta must grapple with regularly in cases involving street-level conflicts. The verdict could set a significant precedent for how local courts interpret proportional force claims in similar circumstances.