REVscene Automotive Forum - Gangsters sentencing and the Publication Ban

It sounds like he turned himself in. Probably wanted to own up to what he did and clear his conscience. More:

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VANCOUVER — Sobs from victims' family members rang out in a high-security courtroom Thursday as horrifying details of the Surrey Six killings – one of B.C.'s worst cases of gang violence – were disclosed to the public for the first time.

Those details painted a grimly detailed picture of how six men – four with gang links, two innocent bystanders – came to be shot dead on Oct. 19, 2007, in a 15th-floor Surrey condominium unit.

At the end of yesterday's hearing, 27-year-old Dennis Karbovanec, who pleaded guilty on all charges, was sentenced to life in prison for three counts of second-degree murder. He must spend 15 years in jail before being eligible to seek parole.

The member of the Red Scorpion Gang, one of the largest in the Lower Mainland, was also sentenced to life for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Most of what happened in court yesterday is covered by a sweeping publication ban, but some details were allowed out, including the suggestion that Mr. Karbovanec entered the guilty pleas although he was convinced the Crown did not have sufficient evidence to implicate him in the killings.

But he was “motivated by a need to do whatever he could to try and set things right and what he has done to date reflects that motivation,” said an agreed statement of facts released to the media.

“He has a strong desire to come clean about his involvement in this tragic matter and by owning up to the part he played, he hopes to offer whatever closure he can to the victims left behind.”

Police had had Mr. Karbovenec under surveillance since late February due to a “public safety issue,” and he spoke with police officers and “ultimately ... expressed interest in pleading guilty for his involvement in the Surrey Six murders,” said the statement.

Throughout the hearing, Mr. Karbovanec, a beefy man wearing a blue shirt and black slacks, hung his head as he sat in the prisoners' dock in the highest-security courtroom of the downtown Vancouver Law Courts, his back to spectators.

Some personal details about Mr. Karbovanec were released, including that at the age of two, his parents separated. He lived with his mother until he was 15, then with his maternal grandparents. His attempt to train as a plumber went awry because of injuries he suffered in a car accident, and since the age of 21, he has supported himself in the drug trade.

At the time of the murders, he was addicted to Oxycontin and his criminal record includes producing a controlled substance, and possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition.

Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm told the court it had been an ordeal to read nine victim-impact statements in the case.

“The statements filed by various relatives of the deceased are possibly the most difficult ones I have ever read,” he said, suggesting they traced “ a path of destruction” through the lives of those who wrote them.

Some of the details of what happened at the Balmoral Tower condo unit were read out in court.Mr. Schellenberg, a 55-year-old fireplace repairman servicing units in the complex, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So was 22-year-old Christopher Mohan, who lived across the hall from the apartment, and was thought to have been heading out to play basketball when he was caught up in the killings.

The other victims were Ryan Bartolomeo, 19, 26-year-old Micheal Lal and his 21-year-old brother, Corey, as well as Edward Narong, 22.

Last Friday, Mr. Karbovanec turned up in B.C. Supreme Court to plead guilty to second-degree murder of three of victims, including Christopher Mohan. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit the first-degree murder of 21-year-old Corey Lal, another man shot dead in the apartment.

Mr. Karbovanec's surprise appearance was followed by the arrests of three other men, who now face first-degree murder charges in the case: James Bacon, Matthew Johnston, and Cody Haevischer.

Crown spokesman Neil MacKenzie told a news conference after the hearing that he was mindful of the intense public interest in the case, but urged patience to protect the integrity of the ongoing prosecutions of the other men.

He refused to discuss any aspects of Mr. Karbovanec's decision to plead guilty, including questions about any consideration Mr. Karbovanec might have received from the Crown.

But he said the pleas were notable.

“It's significant when an individual pleads guilty to three counts of second-degree murder and receives a life sentence. We have to regard that as a significant incident,” he said.

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