Gastown club shooting trial begins

The Crown has begun to lay out its case Monday against the man charged with slaying two people — one of them a Good Samaritan — outside Vancouver's Purple Onion Nightclub in January 2004.

Saff Imran Sharif, 25, is charged with the first-degree murders of Rachel Davis, 23, and Richard Hui, 24, along with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of aggravated assault.

• FROM SEPT. 28, 2004: Man charged in Gastown murders

The prosecution says it has witnesses who will testify that Sharif arrived at the Gastown bar just before closing time and demanded a drink, but was refused.

The Crown says that Sharif and a young woman from another group then began flirting as they left the club, which apparently angered Hui, who was a friend of the woman.

Hui and Sharif then got into a fight, according to the prosecution.

The Crown told the jury that the witnesses will describe how Sharif called out to his friends waiting in a nearby car, asking them to bring "the thing" under the seat.

The prosecution alleges the friends brought him a gun that he used to shoot Hui, and then Davis, who had been trying to break up the fight.

Five other people were also wounded in the shooting.

Outside court, defence lawyer Terry LaLiberte said it's a case of mistaken identity, arguing that authorities have charged the wrong man.

"The issue is, who was doing the shooting. It's as simple as that. There was a big melee," he told reporters.

"And we've heard the first witness say this all took place within about 30 seconds to a minute, and he was very unclear. He couldn't specify, he couldn't pick the person out in court."

Davis was the daughter of 2003 Gemini Award-winning actress Janet Wright and actor Bruce Davis.