The province’s top court has dismissed Allan Potter’s appeal of his first-degree murder conviction.
Potter stabbed Dale Porter 17 times, leaving him to die in his North River driveway in June of 2014. Evidence showed he was killed for insulting a motorcycle gang, as well as a member of the gang and his girlfriend.
Potter confessed to the killing during an undercover operation, but his lawyers argued the bad things he did or said during the sting gave jurors the wrong impression of Potter.
They also argued there wasn’t enough planning for it to be first-degree murder, despite evidence a plan was hatched at a Bay Roberts bar a couple of hours earlier.
However, Sheldon Steeves, the Crown prosecutor in the case, says a plan is a plan.
He says the defence argument of insufficient planning didn’t hold water, adding just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s not a plan.
Dale Porter was a 35-year-old fisherman, truck driver, and father of two children when he was murdered.
Potter, now 56-years-old, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
He still has the option of appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada.
