Homicide victim's son tells court he watched man chase his mother with a gun

Adrian Warmerdamwas lying on the couch at his house when he heard his mother, who was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast, sound startled.

Nathalie Warmerdam got louder and louder, then started to scream.

"It seemed a little strange, so I stood up," AdrianWarmerdam, 22,told the juryMonday at accused triple murdererBasil Borutski'strial.

"That's when I saw her running through the kitchen towards me Isaw somebody was behind her. They rounded the corner, coming through the living room Iwas in, and then Isaw the person following her seemed to be Basil holding a gun, so Iimmediately ran out of the house.

"On the way out of the house I heard what seemed [to be]a gunshot. Iran out into the bush and Icalled 911 and waited for police."

'My purpose was to avoid Basil'

The bodies of Nathalie Warmerdam, 48, Anastasia Kuzyk, 36, and Carol Culleton, 66, were found at three separate locations in and around the small community of Wilno, Ont., on Sept. 22, 2015.

Borutski, who turned 60 last week, faces three counts of first-degree murder and is representing himself. The court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf due to his refusal to enter one.

• FULL COVERAGE: Review all the court stories filed from this trial here

Adrian Warmerdam told Crown attorney Julie Scottthat when he saw Basil and his mother running in the living room, Basil was about a metre behind her holding a gun at chest height, pointed toward her. He said he didn't hear any specific words coming from his mother or Basil.

Asked why he ran, Warmerdamtold court, "Because Ihad just seen Basil with a gun. My purpose was to avoid Basil."

He hid in the bush near the house, called 911 on the cellphone he had with him, and stayed lying on his stomach in the bush until police arrived, he testified.

Court was shown surveillance video from the house, which showsa man walking into the house, Adrian Warmerdam running out, and then aman calmly walking to a vehicle in the driveway and backing out.

Asked whether the man was Basil, Warmerdam told court the videowas small and blurry, but that he assumedso. He also testified that prior to Sept. 22, 2015, he had last seen Basil years earlierwhen Basilwas living at thehouse.

Court earlier heard the end of the evidence about Kuzyk's killing, including information about Borutski'scriminal history involving both Kuzyk and the Warmerdams.

• Accused triple murderer assaulted victim year before her killing, trial hears