Not guilty. That is the verdict delivered by a judge Thursday in an attempted murder case involving two Brampton men after a shooting at a Windsor nightclub.
Kevin Nyadu, 22, was found not guilty of attempted murder.
Nyadu has also been acquitted of all five firearm-related charges against him.
Shadrack Amankwa, 26, was found not guilty of being an accessory to attempted murder. He was also acquitted of gun-related charges.
Justice J.P. Howard says there's no evidence to prove that Amankwa was in the bar. He says "we do not know where he was when the gun went off."
It's in relation to a shooting at the now-closed Boom Boom Room on Oct. 5 2014, where bouncer Devonte Pierce was shot in the back. Pierce survived.
Nyadu’s defence lawyer, Patricia Brown, says they expected an acquittal.
“It’s sad that this young man has gone through this,” says Brown. “He is pleasant, he has gone through a lot. My heart goes out to him, but the focus has been on my client.”
During the trial, crown attorney Tim Cavanaugh showed video of the two men running from the nightclub after the shooting. And a witness inside the club that same night told police she saw a man in red holding a gun. Nyadu was wearing red when he was arrested.
But the defence argued the crown had only circumstantial evidence. The DNA found on the gun used to shoot Pierce did not match the two accused. In fact, there weren't any fingerprints on the weapon.
The gun was found in a bush two blocks away. That's where both accused were arrested. But no one actually witnessed the shooting.
In reading his verdict, Superior Court Justice JP Howard found it was physically impossible for Nyadu to be the shooter. He also noted there was no evidence to prove that Amankwa was even in the nightclub that night.
"The question remains, who shot Devonte Pierce? Justice Howard asked. “That question cannot be answered based on the evidence presented at this trial."
Justice Howard noted Amankwa's suspicious behaviour while in custody, as he tried to change his appearance after learning his picture would be taken. And the judge acknowledged he was bothered by it, but not enough to find any guilt.
Amankwa does have a criminal past after being convicted of drug trafficking related offences. Nyada has a clean record.