Gangster congratulated following Bacon murder
Court told man alleged to have ordered 2011 hit in Kelowna texted: ‘Congratulations ... go have a drink’
The gangster accused of ordering the killing of Jonathan Bacon was in a good mood after the shooting, a Kelowna court heard Monday.
Sukh Dhak sent a celebratory text message shortly after Bacon was killed outside the Delta Grand hotel in downtown Kelowna, a witness testified.
“I got a zap from Sukh. The first thing he said was, ‘Congratulations, LOL, go have a drink,’” said the witness, who cannot be identified because he is a former gangster testifying for the Crown.
The witness said he’d been involved in efforts to locate Larry Amero, a Hells Angel who was wounded in the Aug. 14, 2011, attack that killed Bacon, the night before the shooting.
The witness said that as he and others walked around the Delta Grand hotel earlier that day, looking for Amero, he was warned by a man named Manny Hairan never to talk about what was about to unfold.
“He said, ‘If this goes down, make sure you keep your f . . . ing mouth shut,’” the witness said.
Dhak was murdered in 2012 and Hairan was killed the following year in what police say were revenge killings for the attack outside the Delta Grand hotel.
Jason McBride, Jujhar KhunKhun and Michael Jones are on trial for Bacon’s murder, and for the attempted murder of Amero and two women who were also in a Porsche Cayenne that was shot up on a busy summer afternoon.
The Crown says the accused were acting on the orders of Dhak, who believed the targeted men were behind the murder of his brother Gurmit in 2010.
The witness testified Monday that the three accused were among those who gathered together outside the Delta Grand about 2 a.m. on Aug. 14, 2011.
“We joined these guys on the sidewalk, Khun-Khun, Manny, Jones and McBride,” the witness said. “We were right at the Grand. Right across the street, basically.”
The group stayed around the Delta Grand till approximately 3:30 a.m., the witness testified. Hairan and Khun-Khun then went with the witness to his home to go to sleep, court heard.
When he awoke the next day at 11:30 a.m., the witness said, Hairan and Khun-Khun were gone.
The witness said he and another man drove by the Delta Grand hotel later that afternoon to look for Hairan and Khun-Khun.
By coincidence, the witness testified, they were driving by the hotel on Water Street in the moments after the attack had taken place. Court has heard previously dozens of shots were fired into the Cayenne.
“I looked to my left and I saw Larry’s Porsche on the grass, and I saw Larry, blood on his face and blood on his arms,” the witness said.
“I was just like, ‘Holy F . . .’” the witness said. “I could see Larry shaking.”
After that, the witness said, he drove down Clement Avenue and went to Orchard Park mall’s food court.
“We went there to eat, but after all that happened, we just sat there,” the witness said.
Shortly, the witness said, he received a text message from Hairan.
“Manny said, ‘How many are dead?’”
The trial, which is taking place in a new high-security courtroom and under the watch of extra sheriffs, continues.