Mark Champagne found guilty of second-degree murder in shooting of Natasha Thompson

A jury has found a Hamilton man guilty of second-degree murder for shooting his girlfriend 10 times during an argument outside their home in 2017.

Mark Champagne had pleaded not guilty to the charge, but did plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. The Crown reject that plea.

The jury deliberated for just over three hours before convicting Champagne. A verdict of second-degree murder carries a sentence of mandatory life in prison.

Champagne was charged following the death of Natasha Thompson, who court heard lived with him at 15 Lang St.

Members of Thompson's family began to cry as the verdict was read.

The jury was polled, with each of the 12 members saying they agreed with the verdict.

Thompson was shot multiple times in front of the townhouse they shared on Nov. 6, 2017.

During the trial, a firearms expert said Thompson, a 36-year-old mother of two, was shot 10 times, including three times in the head from less then a metre away.

The weeks-long trial heard from numerous witnesses including neighbours who said they heard Champagne and Thompson arguing outside their unit.

In his closing statement, assistant Crown attorney Andrew Scott said the fighting was about "jealousy and control."

"This relationship is getting worse, not better, in the lead up to Natasha's death," he told the jury.

"I suggest what they're really arguing about is Natasha saying, 'You're leaving. This is the last day that you are here.'"

Champagne defended himself in the trial where he testified that he fired in self-defence, thinking Thompson was someone else. It was only after she was shot that Champagne realized he's made a mistake, he told the court.

He denied most of the Crown's evidence about the motive for the shooting, testifying that it was drug-related and that he is not a jealous man.