A man serving a five year sentence for his role in a North Vancouver home invasion testified against one of his friends and alleged associates in the robbery during a B.C. Supreme Court trial this week.
Gong Oui Choi, 23, of Burnaby, came to court under a subpoena and described how he and three other men - including Duck Joong Yoon, of Burnaby and another friend, Yum Lim - were recruited into committing the home invasion on Tempe Knoll Drive by a fifth man he didn't know.
Choi was called to testify in the trial of Yoon, who faces nine charges in connection with the home invasion on Dec. 9, 2008. He has pled not guilty.
Choi pleaded guilty to his own role in the robbery in July and was sent to jail by a provincial court judge in North Vancouver.
Speaking occasionally through a Korean interpreter, Choi described in court Tuesday how both he and Yoon had been recruited into taking part in the home invasion by Lim, as well as other men he didn't know. On the night in question, the group met in Burnaby where one of the strangers handed out weapons, including a hammer, Taser and a gun and described how the robbery was supposed to happen, said Choi.
"When you see the people who are living there, just tie them up," Choi said the man told the assembled group. "When you find the money, get out."
Choi said the man told them the person who lived in the house was a drug dealer "so he might have a lot of cash."
Choi described how once they were outside the house in North Vancouver, the man told them, "Now you guys have to go inside."
Choi said he, Lim and a third man he didn't know smashed glass by the front door to get inside after covering it with duct tape to muffle the sound. Lim and the other man soon found the two occupants of the home - a man and his wife - hiding downstairs in their basement suite, said Choi. He described how he and Lim tied up the couple with duct tape.
"We kept trying to ask them 'Where is the money? Where is the money?'" he said.
Yoon remained outside in the car, he said. "After a few minutes I got a call from Yoon. He told us police is coming. We just got out," said Choi.
The robbers piled into the car driven by Yoon and tried to get away, he said, but they were stopped by police a short distance away.
Asked by Crown counsel Kristen Bryson what Yoon's role was in the home invasion, Choi replied, "Just driving."
"Was there ever a point he was to be in the house?" she asked.
"I'm not actually sure," said Choi.
Earlier this week, Bryson entered photographs of several items seized by police from the car into evidence, including a balaclava and gloves, a Taser, hammer and a loaded handgun.
Recently, Justice Elizabeth Arnold-Bailey, who is hearing the case without a jury, ruled a videotaped statement Yoon gave to North Vancouver RCMP can't be included as evidence because police delayed too long in allowing Yoon to speak to a lawyer after his arrest.
Yoon made his statement to Sgt. Greg Mainman of the North Vancouver RCMP's serious crimes unit at the end of an approximately threehour police interview in which he repeatedly said he didn't want to say anything and had the right to remain silent. Mainman told Yoon he understood that, but continued to ask questions, telling him that as an adult, "eventually you have to account for what you did."
Arnold-Bailey ruled Yoon's statement can't be included, on the grounds he should have been allowed to speak with a lawyer sooner.
The trial continues.
