The defence lawyer for one of four men accused of orchestrating the execution of John Raposo told the jury they can't allow themselves to be swayed by the "deplorable lifestyle" his client led.
Raposo was gunned down at close range on a packed Little Italy patio in 2012. Witnesses say he was shot by a man wearing a hard hat and construction vest.
Nicola "Nick" Nero, Martino Caputo, Rabih Alkhalil, and Dean Wiwchar have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The Crown alleges that Wiwchar was hired as a hitman by the other three accused to kill Raposo over 200kg of cocaine and because he was a "rat."
It is also alleged that Raposo trafficked drugs with Nero, Caputo and Alkhalil.
Nero's lawyer Alan Gold argued his defence Wednesday, admitting that his client is less than an upstanding citizen who led a "deplorable lifestyle" of importing drugs, illegal money and fancy cars.
But Gold told the jury that we do not convict someone because of who they are, but because of what they did.
He says the Crown has not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that his client is guilty.
The prosecution has been using as evidence messages intercepted by police that they allege prove the accused were plotting to have Raposo killed.
Gold called the messages "a bunch of macho trash talk" between "druggies," people "play acting like they in a Scorsese movie."
The defence teams of the other three accused will argue their cases Thursday.