Toronto man accused of murdering neighbour over BBQ smoke takes the stand

Añadido: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Quatran testified for 3 years. He barbecued on a small charcoal grill outside of the Liberty Village condo where he lived with his wife with no issue from his neighbor Riyaz Habib who lived directly above them. But Tran said that relationship got harder in 2023. On May 20th, 2 and 1/2 weeks before Habib's decomposing body was found in a trash compactor in the underground parkade of the complex, Tran said the 53-year-old filmmaker angrily asked him to move his barbecue away from the railing before slamming his door. Tran testified the two eventually went for a walk. I remember in the middle of the walk he said, "What are you cooking that's so different that makes the smoke and smell? Are you cooking dog?" I said, "That's crazy."

[00:00:39]And then he said, "Don't call me crazy."

[00:00:41]He said it close to my face. Tran said he told Habib he would stop barbecuing.

[00:00:46]10 days later he said that Habib invited him upstairs for a coffee and he assumed it was about the barbecue issue. Tran said Habib asked him if he was making Asian food because the smoke was so bad and then accused he and his wife of having an affair with a woman who was staying with them from Vietnam named Linh Hoa. Tran said the couple told the neighbors Linh Hoa was a cousin. And he says, "Linh's always out there barbecuing with you. I don't think she's your cousin. I think she's sleeping with you. I was so offended. He was so angry with me." Tran testified Habib told him he was going to tell the neighbors he was illegally barbecuing and was going to have him removed from the neighborhood. And he said, "Your bicycle is blocking my bicycle and I'm going to throw it away." And I said, "Riyaz, you don't want to do this because I'm going to do the same thing to you." On June 6th, Tran testified while working late in the living room he heard three screams for help coming from upstairs, footsteps, struggling, and then someone falling down the stairs. But he said he did not call 911. Tran admitted that on June 8th, 2 days after Habib's body was discovered, he threw Habib's bike into a dumpster. It was caught on surveillance camera. Then on June 12th, Tran was interviewed by police. Defense, your own body camera talking to police and they're asking you about the bike. Were you honest with them? Tran, I was pretty dishonest with them because I threw away the bicycle. I had nothing to do with his disappearance or what happened to him. I threw away the bicycle. I did a terrible thing, so I didn't tell them.

[00:02:06]Tran has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. His wife, Isabel Nguyen, has pleaded not guilty to accessory after the fact and doing an indignity to a body. Catherine McDonald, Global News.