Appeal denied for man convicted in 2019 murder in Airdrie, Alta.

The Alberta Court of Appeal has denied the request of an Airdrie man to set aside his murder conviction in the fatal shooting of his neighbour in 2019.

The Alberta Court of Appeal has denied the request of an Airdrie man to set aside his murder conviction in the fatal shooting of his neighbour in 2019.

Michael Antony Roebuck was convicted of first-degree murder in 2022 and sentenced to life in prison for the brutal slaying of Daniel MacDonald, his former friend, on Sept. 7, 2019.

According to testimony heard at trial, the pair of men had known each other for about five years, but "their relationship changed" when they decided to start a cannabis operation together.

A conflict began over the harvesting of the marijuana, descending into accusations from Roebuck that MacDonald was stealing supplies of the drug from him.

"Mr. Roebuck became increasingly hostile and aggressive," the court documents said, attributing part of his behaviour on a drug dependence that began after he was injured in a workplace accident.

"A neighbour said Mr. Roebuck told her that he had found someone 'to take care of Dan,' and on another occasion that 'something bad is going to happen to Dan.'"

At 4:45 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2019, both men met each other at a gas station near where they lived.