UPDATE:
Brante Farrell was sentenced on Thursday morning to two years less a day, with his term to be served in prison.
Farrell was also given 18 months probation. He was also to have no contact with his former girlfriend and Avery Haynes.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The case reads like a murder mystery — two longtime friends plus a matriarch and a hitman.
The two longtime friends are Brante Farrell and Avery Haynes. The matriarch was Atlanta Brayle — founder of a spiritual group that was based on in West Kelowna. She has since died.
Last year, Farrell was charged with hiring a hitman.
In sentencing arguments, the Crown said Farrell wanted to cause serious injury to Haynes because the two were at odds over control of Brayle and her estate.
“It’s upsetting. I grew up around Brante,” Haynes said.
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Haynes says he learned that Farrell wanted to put him in the hospital.
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“Break my arms, break my legs, break my jaw. That’s what Brante Farrell wanted to do with me,” Haynes said.
The court heard how Farrell had his girlfriend post an add on Craigslist. The Crown says a Kelowna man answered the ad, accepted an $800 deposit on a $1,500 dollar contract, but never intended to pull off the hit.
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But the Crown says Farrell’s girlfriend decided she no longer wanted to be involved with the hit and went to the police.
Farrell was arrested and pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to commit an assault.
Haynes says the whole story is really about money and power, and how Farrell assumed Haynes would get Brayle’s inheritance.
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“Brante was after Atlanta Brayle’s money and I will state that on the record,” Haynes said.
In sentencing, an emotional Farrell stood before the judge and admitted to everything, said he was ashamed and that he holds no ill will toward Haynes.
The Crown is asking for a two-year prison sentence for Farrell. The defence is asking for a conditional sentence. The judge will hand down her decision on Thursday.
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