METRO VANCOUVER – A former member of the Red Scorpions gang has pleaded guilty in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster to first-degree murder in connection with a 2001 Surrey slaying and a 2003 Abbotsford murder.
And another murder charge against Anton Hooites-Meursing laid in the October 2003 slaying of his crime boss, John Lahn, was stayed.
Under tight security, Hooites-Meursing appeared in courtroom 102 in New Westminster Tuesday morning.
The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to the June 13, 2001 murder of 22-year-old Randy McLeod in Surrey and the execution of 19-year-old Gurpreet Singh (Bobby) Rehal on March 13, 2003 at his Abbotsford home.
McLeod’s murder was related to a drug rip-off, the court heard. And Rehal’s was in retaliation for an attempt on the life of Hooites-Meursing’s friend at the time, Skeeter Russell.
Hooites-Meursing got an automatic life sentence with no hope of parole for 25 years from Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm.
Both Crown Melissa Gillespie and defence lawyer Joe Doyle said Hooites-Meursing was extremely remorseful and had fully cooperated with police.
Families of both victims were in court for the plea – the same room used for the trial of serial killer Robert Pickton.
Hooites-Meursing wore a grey hoodie, jeans and Nikes and kept his head down as the agreed statement of facts was read.
Anguished cries were heard as details of each killing were relayed by the Crown.
Hooities-Meursing earlier admitted he pulled the trigger in the Lahn shooting, but said it was in self-defence. His first trial ended in a hung jury and his second ended with a mistrial after the judge ruled the Crown’s conduct inappropriate. Hooites-Meuand was ordered in January 2009 to stand trial a third time.
Hooities-Meursing has been associated with gangs in Los Angeles and across the Lower Mainland. He was linked not only to the Red Scorpions and the Bacon brothers, but also to the Independent Soldiers and a number of other organized criminals.
He was at the notorious Castle Fun Park meeting back in December 2006 when the Jamie Bacon, Dennis Karbovanec and Jeff Harvey of the Red Scorpions were meeting with Randy Naicker and James Riach of the Independent Soldiers.
Kbolan@vancouversun.com
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