Neighbour testifies he heard a bang, saw blood in Sandeson's apartment

A former neighbour testified at William Sandeson'sfirst-degree murder trial Monday that he heard a loud bang and saw blood inside the accused's apartment the night Taylor Samson disappeared.

Pookiel McCabelived across the hall from Sandesonin a two-storey apartment building in south-end Halifax.

Sandeson is charged in the killing of Samson, whose body has not been found.

McCabe knew Sandeson for years and considered him a friend. The two were also teammates on Dalhousie University's track team.

Heard a loud bang

McCabe testified that he and a friend weredrinking at hisapartment before heading downtown on Aug. 15, 2015 when they heard what McCabe described as a loud bang.

A short time later, there was a knock at McCabe'sapartment door. It was Sandeson and he appeared to be in shock, McCabe testified.

He and his friend, Justin Blades, went out into the hall and McCabe noticedSandeson's door was open. McCabe said he could see into the apartment and saw a man seated at the kitchen table with his back to the door.

The man's face wasn't visible, but McCabe could see blood on his back and on the floor. McCabe saidhe also saw cash on the floor.

He and Blades returned to his apartment,but when McCabe looked in Sandeson's apartment again a short time later, the man was still sitting there. McCabe testified the man wasn't moving.

McCabe and Blades went downtown shortly after that and never talked about what they saw, he said.

Statements to police

A couple of days later, McCabe said he was at home when he heard a loud crash. He looked out and discovered police officers breaking down the door to Sandeson's apartment.

In the days immediately following Samson's disappearance, McCabe gave two statements to police in which he said he didn't see anything that night.

McCabe testified Monday he wasn't initially forthcoming becausehe heard Sandeson had ties to organized crime. The defence said there was no substance to those rumours.

It wasn't until October of last year, more than a year after Samson was last seen alive, that McCabe gave his third statement to police in which he reported hearing a gunshot and seeing the man.

McCabe is expected to continue testimony Tuesday.

Tips from family, public

Also on Monday, the defence attempted to show the police investigation into Samson's death may have been incomplete.

The defence peppered lead investigator Det. Const. Roger Sayer of the Halifax Regional Police with names all morning long.

They were names that had been given to police as they started a missing person's investigation into Samson's disappearance.

The names came from Samson's mother, stepmother and girlfriend.

As news of the case spread, tips also started pouring in from members of the public.

Sayer said it's typical to have a flood of information at the beginning of missing person's cases.

Turning focus on Sandeson

The CBC's Blair Rhodeslive bloggedfrom court.