WINNIPEG — Thomas Brine admitted to police he broke into cars in parkades on a regular basis around the area and the day Elizabeth Lafantaisie was murdered in a parkade.
Brine told investigators this during a police interview 10 days after the murder in 2011.
The video was played for jurors in his first degree murder trial Wednesday.
“I’ll be honest with you I go there to break into cars,” Brine said when investigators asked him if he goes to the south end of the city.
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On Feb 18, 2011 the 73-year old grandmother was attacked, sexually assaulted and strangled to death in a parkade on University Crescent. She was there to clean a client’s apartment.
Brine told investigators he would get into parkades when someone drove in.
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“I sneak in with a car and go through cars,” Brine told investigators, “I’m usually messed up when I go do that s***, I don’t feel anything.”
Before the interview began, Brine was told he was being interviewed and could be charged with the murder of Lafantaisie. He decided not to call a lawyer.
During intense questioning, he admits to breaking into cars in parkades along Pembina Highway such as the Summerland Apartments and a parkade on Adamar Road but was foggy about several details.
Brine told police he stole a car from a parkade on Adamar Road and drove it to Osborne.
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“It was running,” said Brine. “I guess they were about to leave…I just jumped into it and took off.”
He said he didn’t encounter anyone in the parkade and drove to Osborne Village near Stradbrook Avenue and left the car on a residential street.
Court heard earlier, after Lafantaisie was murdered she was put in the trunk of her car and the suspect drove to Osborne and went into a car wash for 11 minutes.
The Crown Prosecutor alleged Brine washed the car to get rid of evidence.
Lafantaisie’s car was found on Lewis Street in Osborne Village.
The video evidence will continue Thursday.
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