BACON SHOOTING TRIAL: Guilty pleas expected next month

KELOWNA – The three men accused of a daytime drive-by murder in downtown Kelowna seven years ago are expected to plead guilty next month.

Jason Thomas McBride, Jujhar Khun-Khun and Michael Kerry Jones were arrested in February 2013 for the killing of rival gang leader Jonathan Bacon Aug. 14, 2011.

All three were charged with first-degree murder, but according to Crown spokesperson Dan McLaughlin, McBride alone will plead guilty to second-degree murder, while Jones and Khun-Khun will plead guilty to helping plan the murder.

McBride is also expected to plead guilty to the attempted murder of the other passengers in the vehicle, Larry Amero, James Riach, Leah Hadden-Watts and Lyndsey Black.

The trial, which began almost a year ago, heard from witnesses who described Red Scorpion leader Jonathan Bacon dying in a hail of gunfire when another vehicle pulled up beside his Porsche SUV and men inside opened fire.

Bacon was shot and killed, Amero seriously wounded and Leah Hadden-Watts was paralyzed.

McLaughlin says Justice Allan Betton was informed today, April 20, in Kelowna Supreme Court that both lawyers had come to an agreement and guilty pleas will be entered and sentences handed down May 1.

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