An Oak Bay man accused of murdering his two young daughters on Christmas Day 2017 returned to the witness stand briefly Friday morning to answer a few questions from his defence lawyer.
For the past five days, Andrew Berry, has been grilled by Crown prosecutor Patrick Weir about his life, his relationships and the events leading up to the fatal stabbing of six-year-old Chloe and four-year-old Aubrey in his Beach Drive apartment. The 45-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murders.
Weir took Berry through his last day with the girls. Berry has testified that he took the girls swimming on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, went to the cafeteria at the recreation centre and then walked home down Oak Bay Avenue.
“I remember it being dark while we were walking down Oak Bay Avenue,” Berry testified.
Although he didn’t remember stopping at Fairway Market to return bottles, Berry testified that he remembered stopping at a toy store.
Weir showed Berry a pool schedule showing the pool had closed at 1:30 p.m. that day. He also suggested the toy store had closed at 3 p.m.
Today, defence lawyer Kevin McCullough asked him about stopping in at the toy store.
Berry replied that he met someone in the store and gave the person’s name.
During the brief re-examination, McCullough asked Berry to draw on a map the route he said he took to the Victoria Golf Course with the little girls to go tobogganing on Christmas Day.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper adjourned court for the day. She told the jury they will sit Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week while the defence calls more witnesses.
Gropper also told the jury there might be a gap in the trial, but she will explain that to them next week.
