After about five hours of deliberations, a jury found Herbert Hawkins guilty of second-degree murder yesterday.
The sequestered jury of six men and six women began deliberating at about noon Monday after hearing three weeks of testimony, reaching their verdict soon after they resumed deliberations at 9 a.m. yesterday.
Defence lawyer Darlene MacRury had argued there wasn’t enough evidence to prove Hawkins guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the killing of North Sydney resident Sheldon (Shelly) Boutilier.
Hawkins, 33, was charged with first-degree murder in Vancouver 10 days after Boutilier, 48, was found by family members on July 9, 2006 strangled with his throat slit. The charge was later reduced to second-degree murder.
