Vancouver Canucks fans set a car on fire and riot in the street after watch the Canucks lose to Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoff in downtown Vancouver, June 15, 2011. (Carmine Marinelli/QMI Agency)

VANCOUVER -- Stumbling outside a downtown Vancouver building in a drunken stupor before joining in with raging fans, the first accused Stanley Cup rioter to go to trial was clearly too intoxicated to understand his actions, according to defence arguments presented Wednesday.

In final submissions before Judge Connie Bagnall decides the fate of Spencer Kirkwood, 26, lawyer Jonathan Waddington repeatedly referred to video evidence of his client on the night of mayhem.

“He’s so drunk he’s in his own space,” Waddington said, adding it appeared someone had to point out a city barricade to Kirkwood before he picked it up and began smashing windows at the Telus building.