Former UN gangster given immunity, court told
A former United Nations gangster struck a deal to make sure he wouldn’t be prosecuted in connection with an unsolved 2005 double murder as part of an agreement to testify against his former gang mates, B.C. Supreme Court heard on Monday.
The man, who can only be called “Witness A” due to a sweeping publication ban, admitted he played a role in the Abbotsford slaying of Hartinder (Harry) Gill and his girlfriend Lexi Madsen.
The witness said he drove a “blocker” car and others in his gang opened fire on Gill and Madsen on Aug. 28, 2005.
A is in his third week of testimony at the murder trial of alleged UN hitman Cory Vallee, who is charged with conspiracy to kill the Bacon brothers and other Red Scorpions over several months in 2008 and 2009.
Vallee also faces one first-degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of Bacon pal Kevin LeClair on Feb. 6, 2009.
Vallee defence lawyer Tony Paisana grilled A on Monday, suggesting he was just trying to save his own skin.
“As part of your cooperation you wanted immunity for the other crimes you had committed, right?” Paisana asked. A replied yes. “Even the first-degree murder of Harry Gill?” Again A replied yes. A testified he didn’t know in advance his gang mates planned to kill Gill, although he knew they planned to meet with the Abbotsford man.
He said UN gang founder Clay Roueche was there that day, as were UN members Conor D’Monte, Jorge Barreiro and others.
He was stationed near the shooting scene, scouting for police, A said.
Later, he met the others, including Roueche, who told him they killed Gill, A said. He testified he didn’t know who pulled the trigger and only learned from the news that a second person was killed.
No one has been charged or publicly identified as a suspect in the double murder of Gill and Madsen.
Paisana suggested A altered his testimony at the trial after reading news reports about the evidence of other witnesses.
While A agreed he has been following the online news reports, he denied he was changing his evidence to match what others said.
Paisana pointed to A’s statement to police about the May 9, 2008 murder of Jonathan Barber in Burnaby.
“You told the police that Cory told you that he was present for the Barber murder, correct?” Paisana asked. “Yes,” A replied. “You also told the police that Cory had said to you that the Barber murder was the most spectacular thing that he had ever seen … and today … you can’t say if Cory actually said those things, correct?”
A agreed, adding he now believes it might have been Roueche who made the comment.
But Paisana suggested A only changed his evidence after reading an article from May in which another witness known as C indicated Vallee was not at the Barber murder. A disagreed. The trial continues.