A confrontation at the end of a suburban driveway quickly turned lethal, Crown prosecutors told a jury on the first day of the trial of Justin Michael Bos, who is facing two separate murder charges, in Surrey and Langley.
Bos's trial in the death of Troy Michael Regnier began on Monday, Oct. 28 in new Westminster Supreme Court, with Bos pleading not guilty.
After the judge charged the jury with their duty, Crown Sonya Bertrand gave her opening statement and showed a short section of surveillance video that included the shooting and the moments leading up to it.
"He was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest," Bertrand said of Regnier's death.
She said the incident went back to a long-term relationship between Regnier and a woman he dated from the spring of 2019 to mid-August of 2022, when the pair broke up. The woman started dating another man shortly afterwards, and frequently stayed at his Surrey home.
"He was hurt and he was upset," Bertrand said of Regnier's state of mind.
Regnier was using methamphetamine, and sent a number of texts in which he threatened to harm his ex's new boyfriend. Bos was a housemate of the new boyfriend, said Bertrand.
On the night of Aug. 27, 2022, Regnier texted his ex saying he was coming over to the home where she was staying with her new boyfriend. She texted back, warning him not to come.
When he arrived in his pickup truck, video footage showed the ex walking to the end of the driveway where she met Regnier.
He got out of his truck carrying a wooden stick with nails in it and a can of bear spray, Bertrand said.
She said that Bos then walked out of the house, wearing body armour and carrying a gun, and pointing it at Regnier.
A male voice on the video asks "Hey, do you have a gun?"
The following confrontation was quick.
Bertrand said Bos fired a shot at Regnier's feet – the puff of dust from the ground is visible, she said.
Then Bos fired the gun again, more than once, as Regnier discharged the bear spray. They were standing just feet apart.
Bos fled back towards the house. Regnier tried to run away but collapsed in the street before he could reach his truck. He died shortly after that.
"Who died and who was holding the gun is not at issue," said Bertrand.
She noted that she expects the defence to raise the issue of self-defence or accidental shooting.
"The Crown's position is that this shooting was not an accident and it was not self-defence," said Bertrand.
She asked the jury to consider closely what Bos did in the lead-up to the shooting, including the choices he made and the things he did or didn't do. Bertrand said the Crown will argue that his actions were "not reasonable in the circumstances."
The jury is expected to hear from witnesses as well as seeing text messages and video evidence.
The case is one of two murder charges Bos is facing.
He was also charged with second degree murder in the death of Cody Mostat, who was killed on March 25, 2022 in a motel in Langley.
Bos's next court appearance in that case is Dec. 2, when a pre-trial conference is scheduled.
