John Nuttall, Amanda Korody entrapment proceedings begin

The lead investigator of an RCMP sting wanted a pairof terrorism suspects out of their home and awayfrom the distractions of drugs and video games to keep them focusedon their bomb plot, a courtheard Monday.

Staff Sgt. Vaz Kassam testified on Mondaythat removing John Nuttall andAmanda Korody from "their element" would give police a betterassessment of the couple's commitment to threatening public safety.

"A person that is committed to somethingwill carry (through)with the scenario," Kassam told B.C. Supreme Court on Monday."However, if they're not motivated or they don't want to dosomething they'll say, 'Look, I'm out,' or make up excuses."

In June,a jury foundJohn Nuttall and Amanda Korodyguilty forplotting a 2013 Canada Day attack on the B.C. legislature.

The married couple was foundguilty of one count each of conspiringto commitmurder and possessing explosives for the benefit ofon behalf of a terrorist organization.The jury'sguilty verdicts can be stayed if the judge finds entrapment or other abuses of process.

• B.C. Legislature bomb plotters' entrapment claims hard to prove

Defence says pair were manipulated

The second stage of their trial began Mondaywith defencelawyers arguing the RCMP entrapped the pair through a months-longundercover operation.

Theymaintainedtheir plan to detonate the bombs at the legislature would not have materializedhad they not been pushed by police.Their lawyersdescribed the couple as former heroin addicts with money issues who were given a purpose when befriended byRCMPofficers, who gave them money, clothes and spiritual guidance.

The Crown argued the couple planned to kill innocent people and were fully aware of what they were doing.

Korody's lawyer Mark Jette suggested to Kassam that policeremoved his client and her husband from the house because otherwise"they weren't motivated to do much of anything except play videogames."

"It sounds to me like your assessment is that if they were athome they were unfocused and unmotivated and using drugs but if yougot them out of the house you might be able to motivate them to dosomething," Jette suggested.

Kassam disagreed, saying"I think it's more of acommitment level as to how serious they are."

Kassam was appointed primary investigator in charge of theundercover file on June 24, 2013, one week before Nuttall and Korodywere arrested.He testified that when he took over the case the other officersappeared frustrated that the suspects weren't moving forward withtheir bomb plot as predicted.

During the trial, more than 100 hours of audio and video evidence, captured by undercover RCMP officers in an elaborate sting operation, were presented to the court.

The officers posed as terrorists and befriended the couple in the months leading up to the alleged plot to attack the legislature in Victoria using pressure cooker bombs.