Pubdate: Thu, 19 Apr 2007
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2007 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Aldo Santin

JURY TOLD OF THREAT AGAINST RIVAL GANG MEMBER

A former sex-trade worker maintains she heard a member of the Mad 
Cowz street gang say he was going to take action against a member of 
the rival gang that operated a crack house in the West End the night 
that 17-year-old Phil Haiart was shot and killed.

Samantha Bone, 20, testified Wednesday she had bought some crack 
cocaine from a member of the Mad Cowz early in the evening of Oct. 
10, 2005, when one of the members said they were going do something 
against a member of the rival African Mafia, who had been dealing 
crack from a house on McGee Street just north of Sargent Avenue.

Jeffrey Cansanay, 21, has been charged with second-degree murder in 
Haiart's death, and he's also charged with wounding Abass Jalloh, 26, 
who was with Haiart the night of the shooting. A second trial is set 
for June for a co-accused, who was 17 at the time of the killing and 
can't be named.

Haiart and Jalloh were shot as they crossed Maryland Street, near 
Picasso's restaurant and a block away from the McGee street crack 
house operated by the African Mafia street gang.

The Crown told the jury Haiart and Jalloh were innocent bystanders 
who had been hit by stray bullets fired by members of the African 
Mafia, who were aiming at members of the Mad Cowz, who had attacked 
the gang the night before.

Bone said a few hours after she had bought crack cocaine from the Mad 
Cowz, she went to the McGee Street crack house and bought two more 
rocks of crack from the rival African Mafia. She said she had walked 
away from the house when she heard shots but didn't think anything of it.

"I said it's Winnipeg, it's only the West End. It's gun shots," Bone 
said. "All I wanted to do was get high."

Bone said she saw a group of people on bicycles flee the area, adding 
that one of the bike riders looked like one of the members of the Mad 
Cowz she had seen earlier that night.

Earlier at the trial, a man called as a witness refused to testify. 
Corey Amyotte, who was wearing bright orange prison garb, refused to 
take an oath on the Bible or affirm to tell the truth. Justice Morris 
Kaufman cautioned the man to seek the advice of a lawyer, pointing 
out that the Crown attorney's office could bring charges against him.
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