A jury has found Justin Paul Campbell guilty of first-degree murder

After conscionable 2 hours of deliberations, a Corner Brook assemblage has decided that Justin Paul Campbell is blameworthy of first-degree execution successful the decease of his grandmother, and of theft of implicit $5,000.

The assemblage began deliberating to find the destiny of Campbell connected Friday astir 3 p.m. NT, and came to a determination astir 5:10 p.m.

During the two-week trial, implicit 20 witnesses took the basal and a scope of evidence, including pictures, substance messages, slope statements and a recorded connection to constabulary successful which helium confessed to sidesplitting Eva Banfield, was presented. 

Banfield's sister and niece were contiguous successful tribunal and wept with alleviation erstwhile the verdict was read. Family members besides called retired "Thank you" to the assemblage arsenic they near the tribunal room.

Campbell spoke with RCMP Cpl. Nichole Park for implicit an hr connected Sept. 8, 2023. CBC News was capable to entree the video — an emotional, distraught speech wherever helium told constabulary that the devil had told him to perpetrate the murder.

During the constabulary interview, Campbell showed Cpl. Park however helium enactment Banfield successful a choke clasp from down portion she was doing the dishes, aft a roast meal they had shared astatine their duplex successful Deer Lake. He past utilized integrative wrapper and a towel to screen her face.

After her death, Campbell utilized Banfield's telephone to entree her slope account, transferring her wealth to himself and utilizing it to bargain ace cocaine. He is besides charged with theft implicit $5,000.

He wrapped Banfield's assemblage successful a broad and hid her by her bed.

•  'I choked her,' Justin Paul Campbell says to constabulary during execution investigation 

"It was the devil successful my brain," Campbell said successful his interrogation with police. "If you privation to fume crack, you are going to person to bash it."

Crown lawyer Brenda Duffy said the video was impervious that Campbell had planned the murder.

Meanwhile, referencing the interview, defence lawyer Jonathan Regan said determination was nary uncertainty that Campbell murdered Banfield. The defence besides said during the proceedings that astir of what the witnesses heard was true, and didn't telephone immoderate witnesses of their own.

However, Regan said the execution was not planned. He called it an impulse Campbell felt and acted upon.

Justice Thomas Johnson spoke to the assemblage astatine magnitude connected Friday astir the quality betwixt archetypal and second-degree execution earlier being sending them deliberate. First-degree is deliberate and planned, whereas second-degree is intentional but not planned.

The sentencing proceeding volition instrumentality spot successful 2026.

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