Dennis Oland's testimony differs slightly from police interview

Dennis Oland's testimony at his second-degree murder trial on Tuesday differed slightly from what he told Saint John police on the day his father's body was discovered more than four years ago.

• Dennis Oland tells murder trial he didn't kill his father

• Dennis Oland testifying in his own defence 'not that unusual'

Olandtold the packed Court of Queen's Bench courtroom that hewent to his father'sinvestment firm office three timeson July 6, 2011.But in hisvideotaped statement to police, he only mentioned going there twice.

And while he told police he had driven the wrong way up a one-way street before meeting his father, he told the jury that wrong turned happened after the meeting.

Olandwasn't asked about those discrepancies by his defence lawyer Gary Miller on Tuesday. He's scheduled to be back in the witness box today at 9:30 a.m. AT for his continued testimony.

It's not yet clear when he'll be cross-examined by the Crown.

The body of Richard Oland, 69, was discovered in his uptownoffice on July 7, 2011, lying face down in a pool of blood. The prominent businessmanhad suffered 45 sharp and blunt force injuries to his head, neck and hands.

DennisOland, 47,whowas the last known person to see his father alive during their meetingthe night before, testified that he left the office for the third and final timearound 6:36 p.m., and headed home to Rothesay.

Their meeting to discuss family genealogy had actuallyended around6:12 p.m., but he realized as he was driving away that he had left a camp logbook he was supposed to return to his uncle in the office, he said.

So he looped around the block as he searched for a parking spot,ended up turningthe wrong way up Princess Street, "about two car lengths" topullinto thegravel lot there, and went back up to his father's office to retrieve the logbook,he said.

'Short little zip' up one-way street

Olandmentioned going the wrong way up Princess Street to police on July 7, 2011,about two hours into the 2-hour interview.

"You know what? I might've got confused when I was going along and I might've turned up Princess Street, into the gravel parking lot," he had said.

"OK. Now, why wouldn't you have mentioned that to me the first time?" asked Const. Stephen Davidson.

"I mean, that's a significant thing."

"I didn't realize that my route planning was so significant," Oland replied.

At the time, he described the "short little zip" up Princess Streetin the wrong directionas being before he met with his father not after.

You've got me all confused now. No, it's not your fault, it's not your fault.- Dennis Oland to police

He had forgotten some genealogy-related documents he wanted to bring with himat his nearby officeand was debating what to do, he said.

"There was three choices: go to my office and get stuff, go home, or go back to [my father's] office 'cause I had enough stuff," Oland told the officer.

Pressed further, he said: "You've got me all confused now. No, it's not your fault, it's not your fault."

"I know that the first time I went in, where I was parked, and after that I'm having difficulty getting it straight," he said.

"You have me intimidated now, so now I'm getting a mental block."

When left alone in the interview roomfor a few minutes, Olandmumbledto himself andusedhis finger to try to retrace his route on the table in front of him.

Had a 'great time'

During his testimony on Tuesday, Olandsaid he realized he had forgotten the genealogydocuments at work shortly after 5:18 p.m., as he was heading up the stairs to his father's office for the first time that night.

He said he left to go back to work to get them, but as he was driving there, he quickly realized he didn't have a passcard required to operate the elevator after hours, so he turned around to go back to his father's office a second time.

A time-stampedsurveillancevideo played for the jury shows Oland parking his car on Canterbury Street, across from his father's office,around 5:25 p.m. He described his meeting with his father as being a "great time."

Olandwas initially interviewed by police as a witness, but by the end of his 2-hour statement, he was deemed a suspect, the court has heard.

Oland's mother, sister, wife, uncle and a friend are also expected to testify on his behalf.

The trial, which started on Sept. 16, is scheduled to run until Dec. 18.