Gangster Jamie Bacon plans to plead guilty in connection with the 2007 Surrey Six massacre, according to his lawyer.
Kevin Westell told Global News on Tuesday that his client plans to enter a guilty plea for conspiracy to commit the murder of Corey Lal, the intended target of the killings that took place at the Balmoral Tower building in Surrey on Oct. 19, 2007.
“It’s going to be a sentence recommendation jointly proposed by defence and Crown,” Westell said. “I’m not going to disclose this at this point. It will come out in open court.”
Westell said Bacon is not entering any guilty plea in relation to a first-degree murder charge connected to the Surrey Six killings.
Bacon also plans to plead guilty to counselling murder in the shooting of Dennis Karbovanec, who survived the attack, Westell said.
The BC Prosecution Service confirms that Bacon is expected to enter guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit murder and counselling a murder. The pleas are expected to be entered on Thursday with sentencing to follow on a date yet to be determined.
Lal, his brother Michael Lal, and associates Eddie Narong and Ryan Bartolomeo were shot dead that day at the Balmoral Tower, along with 55-year-old fireplace repairman Ed Schellenberg and 22-year-old building resident Chris Mohan, who were both in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Mohan’s mother Eileen says she was stunned by the news and that she learned of the plea deal through a Google alert on her phone.
“I hope Christopher’s death isn’t taken lightly,” she said. “Mr. Bacon is alive, my son is dead.”
Christopher Mohan, 22, was returning home from playing basketball when he was killed.
In 2014, Red Scorpions gang members Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit murder and six counts of first-degree murder following a year-long trial.
Bacon’s trial had been proceeding separately, but in 2017, the charges against him in the slayings were stayed and the judge’s reasons for doing so were sealed from public view.
In May, the B.C. Court of Appeal granted the Crown’s appeal and set aside the order staying the charges, saying his case would proceed to trial.
— With files from Amy Judd, Emily Lazatin and The Canadian Press