Johan Klassen Jr.’s anger for his father was growing after a troubled childhood and the recent death of his mother, but it came to a head when his father wouldn’t lend him his car to buy cigarettes, according to Crown prosecutor Dorinda Stahl.

Klassen Jr. had a difficult childhood because of his dad’s alcoholism and his “frustration and animosity” toward his father was mounting in the weeks before Johan Klassen Sr.’s death on Nov. 2, 2016, Stahl said.

When his father didn’t lend him his vehicle he stomped on his head and slashed his neck multiple times, Stahl said in her opening statement during Klassen Jr.’s trial.

He’s charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 53-year-old father. Klassen Sr. was living in the old town hall in Kerrobert that had been turned into residential apartments.

Stahl said after the killing, Klassen Jr. took a vehicle to his brother’s farm nearby where he drove into a play structure before driving to a farm north of Kerrobert where he and his father worked. There, around 2:30 a.m., he had a cigarette and a beer then stole a semi-truck. He was seen by two members of the family that owns the farm. He travelled northwest and eventually drove the semi into a slough near Luseland, Stahl said in court Monday.

The trial entered into a voir dire –a trial within a trial to determine if evidence is admissible – on the first day. In the voir dire, RCMP officers testified Klassen Jr. was involved in a standoff with police for more than five hours.

Cst. Abram Klassen (no relation to Klassen Jr. or Sr.) and other RCMP officers testified Klassen Jr. was inside of the semi and periodically blared music from the semi, yelled and honked the air horn, but was “cooperative and calm” when he was arrested.

Members of the RCMP’s Emergency Response Team were among the police officers called in.

Officers fired bean bag rounds at the semi before Klassen Jr. got out and walked in waist-deep water to officers who arrested him. He asked for the heat to be turned up and was given an emergency blanket.

Cpl. David Chamberlain with the RCMP’s tactical team testified Klassen Jr. was shivering and after being arrested said, “You guys are real soldiers.”

Cst. Klassen testified Klassen Jr. was brought to the RCMP detachment in Kindersley and told him he had schizophrenia, psychosis and bipolar and that he wanted his dad to buy medication for him but he hadn’t. Klassen Jr. also said he and his dad were having difficulty finding work, according to the officer.

Cst. Klassen also said Klassen Jr. was talking under his breath after being arrested and switching between speaking English and Low German.

“It sounded like he was maybe having a bit of a back and forth,” he said.

Justice Gerald Allbright will decide if the evidence heard will be admissible in the trial proper. The voir dire is scheduled to last the rest of the week at Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench.