Fourth attempted murder charge in shooting withdrawn

Rebecca Murphy has made a plea bargain, like her co-accused in Springdale Street incident

The fourth person to appear in provincial court in connection with a shooting on Springdale Street that left a man seriously injured changed her plea to guilty Monday.

The five-day trial for Rebecca Murphy, 21, had been scheduled to start Monday, until she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Murphy had entered not guilty pleas to charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, public mischief and attempting to obstruct justice.

On Monday she pleaded guilty to the aggravated assault charge, and the Crown withdrew the attempted murder charge conditionally.

Similar pleas deals have already been made for Murphy’s co-accused: 55-year-old Harold Noftall; his common-law wife, 42-year-old Mabel Stanley; and a teenage male who can’t be named because of his age.

The shooting happened a year ago in an apartment at 74 Springdale St. in downtown St. John’s. A 21-year-old man spent 10 days in hospital with serious injuries as a result, requiring surgery for shattered bones. Eight bullet fragments were removed from his body.

The youngest of the accused told the court the shooting stemmed from jealousy, after the victim sent sexual texts to his girlfriend. The plan was to restrain the young man and beat him up, not to kill him, the teenager said.

Murphy will be back in court April 9.