Unemployed and struggling with a crack addiction, Robert Francis was supporting his drug habit by driving drug dealers around when he got a late-evening call Feb. 14, 2022, about a job.
Just two hours later, that “job” would end in the slaying of 19-year-old beer vendor clerk John Lord Barrion, shot dead during a robbery at the Canadiana Motor Hotel (Travelodge) on Notre Dame Avenue.
Fifty-three-year-old William Sampson, the alleged shooter, is on trial charged with second-degree murder.
DANIEL CRUMP / FREE PRESS FILES
Members of John Lloyd Barrionճ family sit at the front of a vigil in his honour. Barrion was killed while working at the beer vendor in February 2022.
Francis, one of three men arrested following the killing, was originally charged with manslaughter and armed robbery, but was granted immunity from prosecution in return for his testimony earlier this week.
Co-accused Ryan Jeron Smith, 42, pleaded guilty to manslaughter last February and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Francis testified Tuesday he was at the Lumsden Avenue apartment he shared with his father and brother when he received a phone call from Smith, who he knew only as “Smitty.”
“He asked me if I was busy and if I could drive him to a job,” Francis told court.
Francis said Smith provided him no further details, but he agreed to drive him, hoping “I would get some drugs or some money.”
Francis borrowed his brother’s Hyundai Elantra and, after picking up Smith, drove to a Young Street address, where they picked up Sampson, who Francis had met one previous time at a drug house.
Francis said he was directed to drive to the Canadiana Motor Hotel, where, after pulling into the parking lot, Smith and Sampson told him to cover up the vehicle’s licence plates.
When Francis returned to the vehicle, Smith and Sampson were putting gloves and masks on.
“They said they were going to go in and rob the liquor store,” he testified.
Smith handed Francis his own mask and gloves. Francis said he was “kind of terrified” when he then saw Sampson pull a sawed-off rifle from a duffel bag.
After ensuring there were no customers in the store, the three men walked inside, with Francis returning briefly to the car to grab a bag.
“I expected they were just going to grab the money or something and just leave,” Francis said.
Francis threw the bag to Sampson, who was at the front counter, “telling the kid to empty the register.”
John Lord Barrion
Francis said he was standing at the door when he turned around and heard a “pop” and Barrion crying out in pain.
“I got scared and ran toward the car,” and the three drove away, he said.
“Smitty said something like: ‘Why did you do that?’ and Sampson said: ‘I told the kid not to move,’” Francis told court.
The men drove to a Domo station at Portage Avenue and Berry Street where Sampson filled the car and bought cigarettes with money from the robbery.
The men returned to Sampson’s residence where they smoked crack before Francis drove Smith home.
Francis said he was too “scared and tired” to return to his apartment and slept in his brother’s car. He was driving the car later that day when police recognized it as a “vehicle of interest,” pulled it over and arrested him.
Francis initially claimed he was with his girlfriend at the time of the robbery, but over the course of an hours-long police interview and two subsequent police statements, admitted his involvement and implicated Smith and Sampson.
“I wanted to tell them what happened… because it was the right thing to do,” Francis said under cross-examination, admitting that in doing so he “was hoping I would not get charged.”
The trial will resume for closing arguments Tuesday
dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter
Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean.
Every piece of reporting Dean produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.