Dellen Millard begins - asking Shane Schlatman about the purpose of the incinerator.

 

"Have you heard about a roll out door versus a hatch on the incinerator?" Millard asks.

 

Schlatman says he remembers reading the option in an email from the manufacturer. 

 

Schlatman says the roll top door would be similar to a garage door, you'd slide it upward. 

 

Millard says "The roll up door would've allowed for larger objects to get in?"

 

Schlatman says it's possible. 

 

Millard responds, that they didn't opt for the roll up door.

Millard now asks about the propane tank used for the incinerator, he has Schlatman explain the difference between a propane and diesel burn.

 

Millard: "Was environmental concerns something I cared about?"

Schlatman: "Not generally."

 

Millard asks if Schlatman remembers how he wanted to build an electric car. He doesn't.

 

MIllard: "We had a lot of projects."

Schlatman: "We did.

Millard: "Shane, did you know I'm a pilot?"

 

Schlatman: "Yup."

 

Millard now shows a picture of himself with his best friend, Andrew Michalski, and talks about their close relationship.

 

Millard: "Mark never really socialized with you. He never came to your house?"

 

Schlatman: "No."

 

Millard points out, Michalski did.

Millard: "Do you remember me telling you I had issues with deer hunters at my farm?"

 

Schlatman remembers.

 

Millard tells the court it was a big farm, more than 100 acres, with surrounding farms and marshland.

 

Millard "I specifically told you there were hunters going onto my land and I was trying to stop them?"

 

Schlatman: "Yup."

 

He's giving very brief answers today, "yup" or "correct."

 

 

 

Millard pulls up some text messages exchanged between him and Shane Schlatman.

 

Millard: "Is it possible on July 4, I would've came to the hangar in the Oldsmobile...and switched vehicles and left with the green van?"

 

Schlatman: "It's possible."

 

The Crown contends Babcock was killed sometime in the evening of July 3, 2012 or the morning of July 4, 2012.

 

Millard now talks about another text. When he told Schlatman about "another dead deer at the farm" He tells the court that was relating to his ongoing headaches with deer at the farm.

 

"You were never there when the incinerator was in use, only that initial burn up?"

 

Schlatman: "Yup."

Millard pulls up this court exhibit, showing inside the garage at his farm.

 

He says these barrels were moved into the barn, as was the incinerator.

 

Schlatman agrees.

 

Millard to his former mechanic, Schlatman:

 

"Building a custom incinerator wasn't that different from other projects you did. There was a variety of work, it was challenging, there was a creative element to it -- you liked it?"

 

Schlatman: "Yup."

Millard wraps up his questioning with this:

 

Millard: "The barn was not a secret place? The hangar was not a secret place?"

 

Schlatman "No."

 

Smich's lawyer, Thomas Dungey, has no questions.

We are back in the courtroom now. Crown Jill Cameron calls the next witness: Robert Burns, Dellen Millard's uncle (his mother is Burns' sister) and a veterinarian in Woodbridge, On. A clinic he's had since 1989.

 

He's married with six children. 

The Crown asks if Burns remembers the last time he saw Millard.

 

Burns says he "never bothered to categorize the useless events in his life."

 

Justice Michael Code cautions Burns to stick to the facts, leave out opinion.

 

Burn responds it was July and August in 2012, which he calls "the incinerator year."

 

Burns remembers this year because his son was going to medical school, and his son and daughter went on a trip to Europe. He says Millard invited himself along.

 

 

 

 

Dellen Millard is standing at the podium now to cross-examine his uncle.

 

"Good afternoon Robbie," he says.

 

Burns responds, "Good afternoon."

Justice Michael Code says the date and location does not seem relevant to this trial.

 

Millard moves along.

 

He shows Burns a photo - the jury has now seen several times - Millard and a petite woman, holding a cat.

 

Millard asks if Burns recognizes the location - he does not.

Millard asks, "Do you recognize the cat?"

Burns says "It's a black cat." He treated several, he says.

Millard talks about a visit he made to Burns' vet clinic. He stopped by and staff told him Burns was away.

 

Now Millard asks about Burns visiting his home -- the one he grew up in -- on Maple Gate Court, in Etobicoke, to treat cats.

 

Burns recalls treating cats at the airport hangar.

 

 

Millard: "We are not close?"

 

Burns: "No."

 

Millard: "We never talked about the pet cremation business? You were told by Charles Dubien" (this is the friend we heard about earlier).

 

Millard adds: "It never came up as a subject."

 

Burns: "It most certainly didn't."

 

Millard: "Is it in the realm of possibility that I would learn of your clinic learning about disposing about animals through incineration through your staff?"

 

Justice Code says that's a difficult question to ask. Re-frame it.

 

Burns says he can't say what Millard and his staff may have spoken about, when he was not there.

His connection to the case:

 

Grant says he was "installing a large 225 litre propane tank, on the front of a flat bed trailer to power up a large oven, as it were, or a large incinerator."

 

"I'd never seen anything like that."

The Crown's questioning is brief.

 

Dellen Millard is now up for cross-examination. 

 

Millard, "Do you remember me?"

 

Grant, "Vaguely."

 

Millard talks about the invoice - it's a manual slip, handwritten. He now shows the court a picture of bank cards spread out on a table. There are four Visa cards, a Costco membership, two RBC debit cards.

 

Millard points out it's not his name on the slip. The customer is listed as "Millard Air."

Crown Katie Doherty now reads an admission to the jury, about a Blue GMC Yukon.

 

She says, "In the spring of 2013, Millard was stopped while driving a Blue GMC Yukon. It was searched."

 

Doherty now shows us a number of photos of the vehicle. We see the inside, there is chocolate milk on the passenger seat. Loose change. Debit and credit cards. There are two large buckets. We also see a reddish-orange bag (looks like a gym bag), and a folder with papers inside.

After some legal arguments, the jury is back.

 

Justice Michael Code tells them:

 

"It looks like Crown may close its case next week. And we may give you Monday off."

 

 

He's a Toronto police officer, a job he's held for more than 20 years.

 

Crown Cameron says Det. Jansz is an expert in analysis and interpretation in codified language and urban street language.

 

Jansz says urban street language is "words or phrases that have been combined or the creation of new words."

 

Codified language is "similar to street language. The difference is that it's codified, something done consciously to prevent the comprehension of the public and law enforcement."

Crown now gets to his connection to the case.

 

Det. Jansz studied a number of text messages exchanged between Millard and Smich and a man identified as Iisho.

 

Cameron pulls up a number of texts onto the large flat screens in the courtroom.

Another from July 1, and 2 2012.

 

Isho: ."32 but its a really nice nice compact piece im sure ud like it"

Then writes: 7:30.

 

Millard: "ok its here wanna get her out lol Paranoid my girls gonna come home"

 

Det. Jansz says a .32 is a 32-calibre fire arm. He adds "really nice nice compact piece" is a reference to a firearm.

 

Det. Jansz says "wanna get HER out lol" the her refers to a firearm.

 

"Keep it on the low" means, he says, not to tell anyone. 

That's it for the Crown's questions.

 

Justice Michael Code tells the jury cross-examination will be tomorrow morning.

 

That's it for us. We're back at 10 a.m. Friday ET. 

 

Thanks for following along.