The man accused of second-degree murder in the July 2010 shooting death of Jocelyn Bishop broke down several times as he testified Friday that he did not kill his then girlfriend.

Thirty-one-year-old Christopher Gale, who has pleaded not guilty in the case, also told the court Bishop was an animal lover who had mental health issues but they “planned on being together forever.”

Gale explained that on June 27, 2010 they had a fight and it got physical, then out of nowhere Bishop put a gun over her head and pulled the trigger.

“I didn’t have a chance to say anything, it was so quick. I asked her why, why does this have to happen.”

Hours later Bishop was buried in the backyard of the Fanshawe Park Road home they shared. Gale was arrested days later.

Following Gale’s testimony the defence rested.

During her cross-examination Crown attorney Mary Potter was quick to ask Gale why he didn’t call for help after she had been shot.

Potter: “You must have been absolutely horrified when she pulled the trigger?”

Gale: “More than you can imagine.”

Potter: “You must have thought at that moment I must get some help, what if she’s still alive?”

Gale: “No, I called my mother.”

Gale told the court he had called a close friend for a ride so he could see his mother one last time before he killed himself, then he returned to the house and started to clean-up

Potter: "Why did you wrap her up?"

Gale: "Because the dogs had started licking up her blood."

Gale they explained he buried her in a shallow grave behind their home along with some family pets who had died because "I decided the only way I could see her every day was in the backyard. She's in heaven." 

Closing arguments will be heard next week before the case is put to the jury.

Scientific testimony inconclusive

On Thursday, the Crown wrapped its case against Gale with testimony from a forensic investigator who discussed blood spatter found inside the house.

Earlier in the week, a forensic scientist testified that the shot that killed 21-year-old Bishop was not a contact wound.

And a firearms expert testified that even though it was a non-contact shot, he couldn’t determine what distance it was fired from.