DISTRAUGHT WITNESS RECOUNTS LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE

Recalls Home Invasion Terror

WHITBY -- A key Crown witness was overcome with emotion Thursday as
he recounted what he described as a life and death struggle with
several masked men who stormed his south Ajax home in a robbery attempt.

Donald Newell said he fought desperately with the men, who invaded
his house in an apparent attempt to steal the marijuana he was
licensed to grow for medical reasons.

"I've had these people ruin my life for two years," said Mr. Newell,
his voice breaking and tears coming to his eyes after about a half
hour on the witness stand in Superior Court in Whitby Thursday morning.

Mr. Newell was testifying at the trial of two men. The two young men
face robbery, assault and weapons charges in connection with the home
invasion at Mr. Newell's Charlton Crescent home in February 2005.

Mr. Newell testified he and his family were preparing to retire for
the evening when he heard a knock on his door around 10 o'clock on a
Saturday night. He said he looked out and saw a lone black man he
thought he recognized as a friend. But when he opened the door five
men swarmed through it, one of them forcing his wife upstairs.

Mr. Newell said he was struggling with the other intruders when one
of them pointed a gun at his head.

"I saw a pistol -- I figured it's my life," he said.

"I'm not going to get pistol whipped. My family's not going to go
through that trauma.

"They're going to have to kill me."

The struggle continued after Mr. Newell made his way to the kitchen
where he grabbed a large knife and managed to dial 911, he testified.
The suspects began to scatter when he wielded the knife, he said,
adding he sustained a serious cut to his left hand during the fracas.

He closed the door after four of the men fled, then fought with the
man who'd gone upstairs with his wife, the jury heard. Mr. Newell
said he opened his door and let go of the man, whom he'd caught in a headlock.

"He hightailed it out of there," he said.

Under questioning by Crown counsel George Hendry, Mr. Newell said he
put up the fierce fight to protect his family, including his wife,
teenaged daughter and ailing father.

"I think they figured it was going to be something easy but it got
foiled," he said.

"They didn't know who they were dealing with, I guess."

Earlier, jurors heard the two accused were among five young men
arrested by police when their car was stopped a short distance from
the crime scene.

The trial continues.