Jury begins deliberations in Jamie Bacon attempted murder plot trial

A jury has begun deliberating the fate of notorious B.C. gang member Jamie Bacon after his trial for allegedly orchestrating a murder plot wrapped up Thursday.

Bacon is accused of masterminding the attempted killing of Dennis Karbovanec on New Year’s Eve 2008.

He’s facing one count of conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a maximum life sentence.

The court heard during the 10-week trial that Bacon and Karbovanec were longtime friends and associates in the drug trade, but that Bacon had begun to question Karbovanec’s focus on their operation.

WATCH: (Aired Feb. 4) Trial begins for notorious alleged criminal Jamie Bacon

1:08 Trial begins for notorious alleged criminal Jamie Bacon

The shooter — who can only be identified as “CD” due to a sweeping publication ban — testified Bacon ordered the hit to erase CD’s $20,000 drug debt.

He added he met with a second witness identified only as “AB” and Bacon, who issued the order on a whiteboard to avoid the possibility of police detection.

The shooting didn’t go well. AB testified he lured Karbovonec to a Mission cul-de-sac where the shooting was meant to take place, but CD’s gun jammed.

Karbovonec fled, but was hit in the back and a bullet grazed his face. He managed to survive his injuries.

The gun was thrown in a nearby creek. Months later, a toddler out for a walk with her mother found some bullets in the creek that matched the ones police recovered from the scene.

Nine years later, another child found the gun allegedly used in the shooting while playing in the creek.

Both CD and AB have escaped prosecution by agreeing to testify against Bacon, despite admitting to their roles in the shooting.

The defence is arguing those immunity deals are precisely why their testimony can’t be relied on, telling the court Bacon is only being used as an excuse to reduce the witnesses’ responsibility.

Lawyer Kevin Drolet told the court during closing arguments Wednesday that there was never any plan to murder Karbovonec, arguing the shooting was too inept to be coordinated by anyone.

He also said some of the consistent details in the witnesses’ stories were relayed to them by investigators.

Crown has countered that those details have been backed up by the physical evidence, but admitted while wrapping its case Tuesday that mistakes were made by police.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Wedge’s 45 pages of instructions to the jury included a warning to be wary of the witnesses’ testimony, saying it should only be considered if it’s backed up by independent testimony.