Calgary chef murdered when he got in the way of a pot shop robbery, jury hears

Three hours after Calgary chefChristophe Herblinwoke up to an alarm, alerting him to a break-in at his soon-to-open bistro, he was dead.

Herblinwas killed because he was cleaning up from a break-in, preventing two menwho had returned to the scene fromrobbingthe cannabis store next to the chef's restaurant,prosecutor Carla MacPhail suggested Monday.

Anthony Dodgson and Tommie Holloway's second-degree murder trial got underway with MacPhail's opening statement to jurors detailing some of the facts of the case and anticipated evidence.

Herblin was weeks away from openingCroque Saveurs, a French cafe. The shop was in a small strip mall on Bow Trail S.W.

Next to it was Spiritleaf, a cannabis store. The two businesses shared a wall.

There had been two previous break-ins to Spiritleafwith the thievesgetting in through Croque Saveurs.

For that reason, Herblin had installed an alarm.

Herblin 'lured' to parking lot

On March 14, 2020, Herblin was in bed when he received an alarm call from his business around 3 a.m.

He arrived at his bistro about 10 minutes later and called police.

Police cleared the scene and left. Around 5:45 a.m., Herblin was still at the bistro, cleaning up from the break-in.

A black SUV returned to the scene.

The Crown's theory is that Holloway and Dodgson were in that vehicle trying to get into Spiritleaf to steal a safe as well as cannabis products.

Gas station attendant calls 911

Security camerafootage shows someone smashing the windows of Herblin's car.

Herblin then emergedfrom the bistro and another man can be seen running toward him before the video cuts out, said MacPhail.

Herblin was stabbed nine times.

He managed to get to the nearby Shell gas station, where he asked the attendant for help.

She sat him down in a chair and called 911 but Herblin "slumped to the floor," said MacPhail.

Police officers who responded to the call tried to save him but Herblin died in the gas station.

MacPhail said it is the Crown's belief that Holloway broke the windows to lure him to the parking lot so Dodgson could attack.

The trial before Court of Queen's Bench Justice Blair Nixon is set to last three weeks.