It's a wrap

Baird took the stand for 2 hours today and after 7 days on the witness stand, Kilrea has stepped down.

For all the build up, Baird's testimony was anti-climatic; nothing new was revealed, and the Crown and Defence didn't push too hard. Despite some speculation that a meeting at Hy's Steakhouse would be on the agenda, it wasn't mentioned in any way.

As a funny aside, with all the national media present today, the courtroom was full to the brim. After Baird left the courtroom and the media followed - virtually emptying the courtroom - Hutchison joked, "I'll try not to take it personally", and the Judge followed with, "Was it something I said?"

Kilrea's testimony finished with a few comments by Edelson. He told Kilrea:

1) O'Brien told Kilrea that he [O'Brien] could do nothing for the NPB appointment, and told him he should pursue it with Baird because Kilrea knew him better than O'Brien did.

2) O'Brien said Kilrea would have a better shot at getting on city council than becoming a mayor.

3) O'Brien never offered to pay Kilrea's expenses and reimburse him.

Edelson tells Kilrea he's told a story that bears little resemblance to the real events. He says Kilrea was the one who brought up the NPB issue before O'Brien.

Edelson cites the many times Kilrea consulted his lawyer for smaller issues throughout his political career, yet when this alleged offer came his way, he didn't contact his lawyer.

Edelson tells Kilrea he had a "nuclear bomb" that he could've fired at O'Brien during the mayoral race, but he chose not to use it as a political weapon.

Kilrea testifies (under Crown examination) that the reason he never went public with the alleged offer before the election was because he didn't know it was illegal, and that he felt it would torpedo O'Brien's campaign.

In regards to the different versions of his affidavit, Kilrea says he never referenced the emails at his disposal; that he expressed concern to the polygraph examiner that he could be a week off on the dates; and that he never intended to mislead anyone with the affidavit.

When asked why he entered politics, Kilrea said he felt that things could be a little different if he entered - a change from Chiarelli politics.

Outside the courtroom, Kilrea said he was glad to have his life back. He said he wouldn't be following the trial and that he just wanted to get back to his job and enjoy a nice dinner tonight. As for returning to politics, Kilrea said he wouldn't close any door... he said he would consider returning for a run at city council.

Court resumes Monday. The next witness hasn't been confirmed, although it is expected to be the lead investigator in the case.