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(ASHLEY LEGASSIC - REPORTER / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - A Shuswap man who shot and killed an acquaintance nearly seven years ago has changed his story about what happened that night.

Jordan Barnes says he is trying to "do the right thing" now and tell the truth in his testimony at his co-accused's trial.

Jeremy Davis is currently facing a judge-alone trial in Kamloops Supreme Court for the murder of Nicholas Larsen. Larsen was shot and killed on Blind Bay Road, just outside of Salmon Arm, back in June 2011. Barnes was sentenced to life without parole for at least 10 years for second degree murder.

He began testifying at the trial of his co-accused in February, but today he changed a key detail of his evidence and was challenged by a prosecutor about his motivation for changing it. 

On May 31, 2011, Barnes and a friend had been drinking much of the day and into the night before Larsen came into Barnes's house. They argued over drugs and Barnes accused Larsen of assaulting his pregnant wife. He said he also believed Larsen had a gun.

After that, Barnes called his friend Davis and "ranted to him" about what happened. Davis went to Barnes's home to try and calm him down and when that didn't work, he suggested going for a drive so that Barnes could cool down. Shortly after they left the house, they spotted the vehicle Larsen was in. Barnes says there was no discussion about using a gun on Larsen.

"I think I said that, yeah, I wanted to beat him up," Barnes said in his testimony today. “I told him what happened with Nick before and that I wanted to go beat him up and that was it.”

Davis allegedly pulled in front of the vehicle Larsen was in and slammed on the brakes. Barnes then got out of the vehicle and shot at the car. He told the court that once he started firing, he believed Davis was trying to drive away, so Barnes hopped back in the vehicle. 

Then to the key point: Barnes said before they got into Davis's car to go for a drive, he retrieved a handgun wrapped in a cloth that he stored in his boat and stuck it in the waistband of his pants. At some point, he said he hid the weapon underneath the passenger's seat in Davis's car.

It's a change from what he told the court when Davis's trial first began in February, Crown prosecutor Neil Flanagan said. At that time, Davis claimed he didn't know there was a gun in Davis's vehicle until Davis slammed on the brakes in front of Larsen's car and it slid from underneath the passenger seat. Flanagan reminded him of what he said earlier.

"Yeah that’s what I said. But it’s the best to my recollection and I was wasted," Barnes said.

Barnes said he couldn't recall all of the events from early in the morning June 1, 2011, because he was highly intoxicated at the time. He says he changed his evidence because he has now been off methadone and Lyrica and since then has been able to recall more of what happened.

"Today, you're (saying) not only did you know there was a gun in the white (GMC) Jimmy, but you put it there," Flanagan said.

Barnes agreed and said the reason he was changing his story now is because he wants to tell the truth.

Flanagan suggested a few reasons why Barnes was changing his evidence now, including fear of being labelled a rat, fear of Davis being sent to Kent Institution with him, and a belief that Davis did not do anything wrong and shouldn't even be charged in this matter.

"It’s got nothing to do with him. It’s me," Barnes said. "I want to do the right thing."

"What is the truth? The truth about the gun and how it comes to be in the Jimmy?" Flanagan asked after a lengthy exchange.

"I brought the gun. I put it under the seat. I grabbed the gun. I got out. I unwrapped the gun, and used it on Nick Larsen," Barnes said.

Barnes and Davis were not arrested until 2014.

The trial will continue through the week.

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