Trial of Dale King, charged in the death of Yosif Al-Hasnawi, gets a surprise pause

The trial of the man charged with the shooting death of Yosif Al-Hasnawi is paused unexpectedly for today, although the jury hasn't heard details about why.

Justice Andrew Goodman has told the jury that the Dale King second-degree murder trial is postponed until Thursday morning for "a legal issue." But the jury wasn't called and didn't hear details as to what that issue was.

James Mathesonwas expected to be in the witness box again Thursday morning to face cross-examinationfrom defence lawyers about what he remembers or doesn't remember about the night Yosif Al-Hasnawi was shot.

Matheson was with King on the night of Dec. 2, 2017, when the two had an altercation with 19-year-old Al-Hasnawi outside his Main Street East mosque. The two were bothering an older man, the court has heard, and Al-Hasnawi called at them to stop.

The pair crossed the street and had an increasingly tense conversation with Al-Hasnawi. Matheson sucker-punched Al-Hasnawi, the court has heard, and Al-Hasnawi chased the pair toward a Hasty Market at Main and Sanford. As he ran, King turned and shot Al-Hasnawi once in the abdomen with a .22 calibre gun.

Al-Hasnawi died in hospital about an hour later after what witnesses describe as shoddy treatment from paramedics on scene.

Matheson said in superior court Tuesday that he didn't remember that, or much of anything.

"I dunno," he said when asked if he remembered King firing a shot.

King's lawyers say he was intimidated by Al-Hasnawi and firedin self defence.

This is the second week of the trial at Hamilton's John Sopinka courthouse. The trial resumes at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Stories from the trial so far: