4 —Wendresday January 27. 1999 - Norin Snore

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Boh fdackin Contributing Writer MICHAEL Caster said he took only half an hour to prepare for the killing of Mohammed Mirhadi in a crowded North Vancouver movie theatre.

“Pb should have waned longer, (buts i saw that as the most perteet opportuni ty” Caster tald undercover police offi- cer RCMP Const. Keitiv Pearce in a secretly taped conversation on Sept. 10, 1997,

The conversation was played in B.C. Supreme Court Tuesday during Caster’s first degree murder trial.

Caster, 21, is on trial before a judge and jury in New Westminster for the murder of Mirhadi.

Mirhadi was fatally shot three times while watching the gangster movie Donnie Brasco on Feb. 28, 1997, 3t Famous Players Esplanade 6 in North Vancouver. Another man, JAE, will go on trial in October. The 20-year-old can only be identified by his initials.

On tape, Caster told Pearce he went to see the movie Dannie Brasco on Feb. 28, 1997, and saw Mirhadi in the lobby. Caster told Pearce that he shot Mirhadi, who was sitting in the theatre's front row, three times causing four wounds.

Pearce asked him what type of weapon was used. Using his finger, Caster drew the number nine on the dirty tailgate of Pearce’s Toyota 4-Runnec.

Pearce asked Caster where the gun was.

“It’s gone ... but [ know where it is,”

E reveal

Accused discusses shooting of man in North Van theatre

Caster said On Monday, Pearce testified that undercover police offivers used a phony plan to Killa crooked accountant ina bid to chet Casters confession to shoonng Mirhadi. Pearce “Mag”

pertraved Liam

MacDonald. the second-in- command of

an unnamed criminal organization set up bv police to gain recorded contes: sions from Caster and JM.

He told Caster that “Bull.” the group's boss, wanted an accountant named Kenny i be killed because Keany had skimmed money from his accounts. Bull was actually Spc. Duncan Grav.

Pearce told the court “due to the ele- vated anger that Bull was feeling,” Bull wanted Kenoy killed in public.

The venue for the hit was to be the parking lor outside Edmonton Coliseum after an Ohlers’ hockey game. Kenny, according to the scenario, was 2 season ticket holder. Pearce equated the ques- tioning to a “job interview” in which he was acting as Caster’s “future employ- er”

Pearce proposed the project to Caster on Sept. 10, 1997, outside Courtenay, B.C. amidst a complex oper- ation to offload two tonnes of hashish fram a Durch ship. The hashish was actually hay, according to Pearce’s prior

$ murder plan

Lostimony

He sada $30,000 to $60,000 boun- tyowas being offered tor the Kenm filling. The bounty would be split four ways,

Pearce said a similar proposal was made in) mid-August durin, an Edmonton trip with JM

Atothe ume, Pearce and another undercover officer told [AML thar Boll wanted Kenny killed while fishing at his Jakefront cabin in rural Alberta, JM. had carer claimed responsibility tor Marhadi’s death, but recanted later when he returned to Vancouver, He told Pearce that he was covering tor Caster, the (rue gunman,

In a further effort to prompt Caster to detail the murder, Pearce told Caster of Bull’s fongtime associate named Henry. Henry, he said, way dying of can- cer and willing todo Bull one fina! favor to ensure bis witt and Kids were finan- cially, stable atter he was gone. That favour would be to contess ta Mirhadi’s killing. Bull would look after Henry's

family in return for taking the fall — if

Caster and JM. were to tell him every- thing that happened. Part of the bargain was surrendering the murder weapon, 3 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, As Pearce later learned, the gun was missing.

Pearee began the evidence: gathering scenario less than 24 hours after he accompanied Caster and J.-M. to Vancouver Island for the drug opera- tion.

Caster and JM. were lured into the scheme with $2,000 cash each and the promise of separate deferred payments of $58,000.

Suspect released on $10,000 bail

From page t

The case was adjourned to Monday for a bail hearing. On Monday Judge Ellen Burdett released Bisson on $10,000 bail.

The = date

rape pill,

Rohypnol is brand name of

Politicians and public lobbied feds

From page ¥

representatives that met with federal ministers last Friday.

“We had absolutely fabu- Jous support from mayors Don Bell (North — Vancouver District) and Jack Loucks (North Vancouver City, ft realty helped assure the minis- ter how widely spread the problem was. Pubhe support was great. People almost uni- versally understood what was at stake and the impact on jobs,” said Cady.

According to figures pro- vided by Televector Enterprises (a film industry payroll firm), approximately 2,750 North Shore residents were directly employed by the filnt industry last vear.

Loucks, Bell, Senator Ray Perrault, Lions Gare Studios vice president and general manager Peter Leitch and North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce representative Judi Ainsworth participated ina conference call to Dhaliwal fast Thursday to address the issue.

Leitch said he is satisfied with Revenue Canada’s deci- sion to case off full Canadian tax rates for U.S. actors.

“Tr gives the industry and federal government: time to come up with Jong-tenn solu- tions. In the interim produc: tion can continue,” said Leitch,

flunitrazepam. Rohypnol or “rooffies” are tasteless, odor- less and dissolve quickly in soda.

The pill has been said to take effect in 10 minutes and is 10 times more powerful than Valium.

Rohypnol was intended tor

insomnia so treaument. Tt induces sleep. The drug also causes short-term aninesia. Rohypnol started ta be used illegally in Canada and the United States in recent years. Ina date rape situation, a pill is slipped into a victin’s drink. Early symptoms are

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