KENTVILLE N.S.,- Daniel Wayne Surette and Kyle David James Fredericks have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Harley Lawrence.
The men were scheduled to continue their preliminary hearing Monday at Provincial Court in Kentville, when the case was moved to Supreme Court, and pleas were entered.
62-year-old Harley Lawrence was found in a burned out bus shelter on Oct. 23, 2013, in Berwick, N.S.
The judge explained to Surette and Fredericks that by pleading guilty they are giving up their right to a trial. With a second-degree murder conviction, both men will serve at least ten years in prison before they are eligible to apply for parole.
“It wasn’t a first degree murder, it was second degree murder. Once the crown was able to move off first degree murder, they were able to come to a resolution,” says Ken Greer, Defence Attorney.
According to the crown, a surveillance video showing the pair walking down the street and buying gasoline is the strongest piece of evidence against them. Surette was identified in the video by his mother.
The court heard Surrette and Fredericks bought ten dollars worth of gas on the night of October 23rd at the Irving in Berwick, then went to the bus shelter Lawrence was sleeping in, and set him on fire.
“They, at some point made a decision, I’m not sure, it’s unclear if it was before they bought the gas or after, that they were going to burn this man,” says James Fyfe, Crown Attorney on the case.
Fyfe offered only one motive for the brutal murder, “They viewed him as a bum, they viewed him as a rat, as a possible rat or Narc and that seemed to play a part in their eventual secession to do this horrific act.”
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Family members of both Fredericks and Surette were in court, but declined to speak to media. The victim’s family was also in attendance to hear the guilty pleas.
“It’s very emotional and the family needs it,” says Ron Lawrence, Harley’s brother shortly after hearing the men admit to the murder.
Despite giving several rude gestures and winking at members of the media during proceedings, Daniel Surette’s lawyer says his client is remorseful.
“In two weeks he had made an utterance to the police, he told police he had done it, so certainly this is somebody that throughout this process was regretful to his actions,” Greer tells Global News.
When asked if he had anything to say after admitting to Lawrence’s murder, Surette told Global News “I hope the family can find some closure in this,” as he was led away by sheriffs.
The victim’s family aren’t sure they believe the men are remorseful for their actions. “They’re the ones that have to live with what they did and they’ll be looking over their shoulder all their life and they’ll be held responsible,” Ron Lawrence says.
The men are scheduled to be back in Kentville Supreme Court on April 28th to be sentenced.
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