The prosecution is portraying Luka Magnotta as a calculating man who made arrangements to flee Canada and hop from country to country after killing Jun Lin.

Berlin resident Frank Rubert took the stand Wednesday and described how he met Magnotta on a gay exchange website, and ended up giving him a place to stay.

Rubert testified that he posted an ad for a roommate on a gay chat site called GayRomeo, and that Magnotta, using the alias William 2323, answered him in May or June.

According to Rubert, Magnotta said he was living in Paris but wanted to come to Berlin after a relationship ended.

On the lookout for being scammed, since he had been burnt before, Rubert agreed and was pleasantly surprised that Magnotta never asked him for money.

When Magnotta finally arrived in Berlin, however, Rubert thought he was slovenly and unattractive.

The pair struggled with communication since they did not have a language in common, but Rubert convinced Magnotta to buy new clothes and change his hair in order to fit in.

Magnotta stayed with Rubert from Thursday to Monday morning, both sleeping in a sofa bed, but never had sex.

"He was not my style," said Rubert.

The pair went out several times to restaurants, gay clubs, and parties, drinking a lot and Rubert introduced Magnotta to friends who spoke French and English.

Rubert testified that Magnotta went through several thousand Euros very quickly and so wanted to resume working as an escort.

Rubert said during the four days together there was never any hint that Magnotta had killed anyone or was worried about police looking for him.

By Monday Rubert wanted Magnotta to leave his apartment but didn't want to abandon him.

He gave Magnotta a cell phone, a friend's number to call if he got lost, and explained how to get around on public transit and where to find internet cafés.

Rubert then left, bought a newspaper, and began reading it on the subway only to spot the photo of his visitor inside in a story about an international manhunt for an accused murderer, with graphic details of killing, dismemberment and cannibalism.

"I was getting hot," said Rubert. "What would I do?"

"I read the article, there were cruel things in that article," Rubert said, also saying he was nervous about discovering the accused had lived with him a few days.

He then called police and said he thought a murderer was staying at his home.

While Rubert waited at a nearby station, an Internet cafe employee had flagged down officers after seeing Magnotta inside.

After Magnotta's arrest, police seized his personal items from Rubert's apartment.

"On that day I reflected, and thought how stupid was I to let just anybody come into my apartment without knowing what kind of a person this was," Rubert said.

When officers arrived they wished Rubert a happy birthday -- which puzzled him.

"I replied it's not my birthday and the police said, ‘Yes, it is, because you could have been next,’" he said.

Under cross examination, the witness admitted he had a very lengthy criminal record, which the defence used to try to undermine Rubert's credibility.

Rubert has numerous sex crime convictions, one of which led him to a stint in a psychiatric hospital.

Asked about it by the defence, the witness directed his comment to Magnotta, saying, "I did what you're trying to do today, to avoid going to jail."

The charges against Magnotta are first-degree murder; criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of Parliament; mailing obscene and indecent material; committing an indignity to a body; and publishing obscene materials.

The trial continues Thursday.
 

-With files from The Canadian Press