Dennis Oland Begins Testimony

It didn’t look like it was going to happen but, Dennis Oland started his testimony at his second-degree murder trial in Saint John, New Brunswick.

51-year-old Dennis Oland is accused in the 2011 bludgeoning death of his father, prominent businessman Richard Oland.

His lawyer, Michael Lacy, asked him why he wanted to speak in his own defence and he responded, “I think people should hear in my own voice that I didn’t kill my father”.

Lacy asks if he spoke with his father about money on July 6th 2011, the night of Richard Oland’s death, and he responds, “no”.

Lacy refers to Richard’s affair with Diana Sedlacek and he says “he heard a rumour about it”.

Richard’s wealth is mentioned and Lacy asks Dennis if he or his siblings had a trust fund and he says no.

Lacy takes the court through Dennis’ upbringing in Rothesay and his education in a combination of private and public schools before going to university in Fredericton.

While living in Toronto with his girlfriend, Dennis speaks of his father visiting and taking them out to dinner and how his father flew him to skiing vacations in Maine and Vermont.

Dennis Oland resumes his testimony Thursday morning.