Accused admitted to police he stabbed Justin Breau, insisted attack wasn't planned

For hours on Wednesday and Thursday, jurors in Saint John listened to a series of police interviews with one of the men accused of killing Justin Breau.

Charles Shatford, 49, and Donald Walker, 52, are both on trial for first-degree murder in Breau's death.

Before his arrest Shatford, repeatedly told police that he didn't know anything about Breau's death, which happened in August 2022. 

Detectives talked to Shatford again after his arrest in January 2023. Video recordings of those interviews were played for the 13-member jury. 

For hours, a police detective asked Shatford questions — and for hours Shatford denied being involved. 

He stuck to that story even when shown security camera images that contradicted his version — images that put him in the area at the time Breau was stabbed to death.

But after several hours talking to the same officer, Shatford's story began to change. 

"Maybe [Breau] is gonna be told to leave town," he told the detective about that night.

Det. Const. Tony Gilbert asked him, "What went sideways?" and Shatford said, Breau went "crazy." 

For a long time during the interview, Shatford would offer a little bit of information and then backtrack and insist he didn't know anything. 

But eventually, a story emerged about what happened at 12 Charles St. just before 4 p.m. on Aug. 17, 2022. 

Shatford said he, Walker and another man, whom he did not identify, knocked on the apartment door and Breau's girlfriend, Megan Ross, opened the door. As he and Walker walked into the apartment, Breau jumped up from the couch and "attacked" them, Shatford said. He said Breau shoved him aside and tackled Walker. 

Shatford said he lost his balance and fell on a table and broke it. Being a "big guy," he said, it took him a while to get back to his feet. By that time, Breau was on top of Walker on the floor of the hallway, "beating him up." 

At this point in the police interview, Shatford denied stabbing Breau. He said no one carried knives, he didn't see any knives, and didn't see anyone stab Breau.