Accused rented car 10 days before Jonathan Bacon murder, trial hears

KELOWNA – One of the men accused of killing Jonathan Bacon in a daytime gang shooting outside a Kelowna hotel rented a car in Surrey 10 days before the incident, a court has heard.

Car rental documents from Dollar Thrifty Automotive, now merged with Thrifty Car Rental, show Jujhar Khun-Khun rented a 2011 Jeep Cherokee on Aug. 4, 2011.

Jason McBride, Michael Jones and Khun-Khun were arrested in 2013 and charged with first-degree murder for the killing of Bacon, along with the attempted murder of four others.

They have pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Khun-Khun rented the vehicle in Surrey from employee Munnaza Sheikh, she told the court on Thursday.

When asked if she recognized Khun-Khun's name, she said he was a frequent renter from Dollar Thrifty Automotive.

In the time she worked there, from 2010 to 2015, Sheikh said she dealt with Khun-Khun six or seven times over a few years.

"He was a nice person," she said.

The length of his car rentals varied from days to weeks to months, said Sheikh.

The rental vehicle was originally scheduled to be returned on Aug. 11, 2011, but it was returned to the Surrey location on Aug. 17, 2011, three days after the shooting.

When the vehicle was returned, it was noted the distance driven was 3,126 kilometres.

The total cost of the rental was $1,040.50, which was paid in cash.

Previously in the trial, video footage of a Jeep Cherokee driving around Kelowna the morning of the shooting was played in court.

The trial continues.