Jury considers verdict in Bajkor murder trial

(Updated) The jury has adjourned for the evening in its deliberations in the first degree murder trial of Hamilton’s James Bajkor.

This is the case of two men charged with first-degree murder after one of them fired off a gun and killed an innocent bystander. The jury had been out for a number of hours already this evening and have now told the judge that they have adjourned for the night.

As always, there’s no indication of when they’ll make a decision.

This tragedy happened two years ago in east Hamilton’s Sherman and Barton area. The victim was 22-year old James Bajkor. He was working in the back yard of his home when he was shot and killed.

At the time, two men had been chasing a third man when one of them pulled a gun and started firing. That’s when Bajkor was hit.

The shooter was 21-year old Shaquille Collins. Collins lawyer says the death was a tragic accident but not a murder. But the crown prosecutor says it was a planned killing, even though the wrong person was killed.

The other accused — 30-year old Christopher Newton — was with Collins and is charged with first-degree murder as well. And a third person, who can’t be identified because of his age at the time of the incident, will go on trial this fall.

Editor’s note: This article was updated June 11, 2014 to correct a number of spelling mistakes. CHCH News regrets the errors.