A popular Vancouver artist and a man accused of killing him fought outside a nightclub in the downtown area, a witness testified in the trial of Dennis Robert White.

Dennis Robert White, 30, is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Lee Matasi, 23.
(CBC)

White, 30, is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Lee Matasi, 23, on Richards Street on Dec. 3, 2005.

Jessie de Champlain, 25, a friend of Matasi's, said in a Vancouver court on Wednesday that he heard a shot as he left the Shine nightclub with two friends in the early morning hours.

De Champlain said when he looked back he saw Matasi hurrying up the street to catch up with them.

Three men, one of whom was White, approached a few seconds later, de Champlain said, and White asked Matasi, "What did you say?"

The two men began to fight and White hit Matasi on the head with a gun, de Champlain said.

Lee Matasi was shot dead on Richards Street in downtown Vancouver on Dec. 3, 2005
(CBC)

The gun fell to the ground during the scuffle and White got to it first, he said.

Matasi was holding White's forearm and the gun went off beside Matasi's head, de Champlain testified.

"I turned my head because I knew this guy was going to kill Lee Matasi," de Champlain told the court.

He said he heard two more shots and looked back to see Matasi fall backwards.
 
Under cross examination, de Champlain admitted his testimony on Wednesday was different from what he told police two years ago and was different from statements he made in a preliminary hearing last year.

He told the court he was exhausted, delirious and out of his mind after being held by police for five hours.

The trial began Monday and is expected to last three weeks.