Bulatci bragged about shooting Mountie, court hears
Jurors in the first-degree murder trial of Emrah Bulatci heard from two Crown witnesses Friday who said the Edmonton man talked about shooting a Mountie in Hay River, N.W.T.
Bulatci, 25, is accused of killing Hay River RCMP Const. Christopher Worden, who died Oct. 6, 2007, after being shot four times while responding to a call for assistance.
Bulatci fled to Edmonton shortly after the incident.
Previously in the trial, which began Oct. 21 in Yellowknife, Bulatci has admitted to shooting Worden but maintained he did not intend to kill the officer. Bulatci was dealing drugs in Hay River at the time of the shooting.
The 12 N.W.T. Supreme Court jurors heard Friday from Justin Anderson, who said he beat up Bulatci after he arrived in Edmonton over a previous drug score.
Anderson, 20, testified that he began selling drugs for Bulatci after they met in Grande Prairie, Alta., several years ago.
Anderson said he was arrested and jailed while selling drugs in Peace River, Alta., and Bulatci did not return his phone calls or help him get a lawyer.
The day after Worden was killed, Bulatci arrived at the Edmonton house where Anderson was staying and showed Anderson a newspaper story about Worden's death, according to Anderson.
"He said he fired two shots, but his [Worden's] vest took it, so he fired two shots at his head," Anderson told the jury.
Anderson said he decided to pretend to help Bulatci but instead recruited three friends and bought a baseball bat to beat him up in a hotel room that Anderson had helped to book for him.
Anderson said he and his friends beat, bound and gagged Bulatci, then stole his jewellry and $6,500 in cash that he had on him.
When questioned by Bulatci's lawyer, Anderson said he has never been charged in connection with the beating or for helping Bulatci flee police.
The jury also heard Friday from Shawna Ingram, who said she eavesdropped on Bulatci talking with Anderson and two others when he arrived in Edmonton.
Ingram testified that Bulatci said he shot a "pig," a disparaging term for a police officer.
Under cross-examination, Bulatci's lawyers suggested Ingram was lying because she did not tell police earlier that Bulatci had made such a statement.
Ingram insisted that Bulatci did say those words, adding that she was distracted by a crying baby in her arms when she had made the earlier statement to police.