Accused testifies she was unaware of homicide plan

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Driving to meet Shania Chartrand on a dark Winnipeg street, Lacy Sorokowski expected a fist fight, but was instead dumbfounded when one of her passengers pulled out a gun, jurors were told Wednesday.

“So much happened in five seconds,” Sorokowski testified. “The gun goes off, and there was absolute dead silence. I’m looking at (Chartrand) on the ground and I’m wondering: is she hit? Did she get hit?”

Sorokowski, 25, Tyrone Anthony Chippeway, 24, and Christopher Ryan St. Paul, 26, are on trial for second-degree murder in the March 12, 2017, killing.

Prosecutors allege Chippeway communicated with Chartrand via Facebook Messenger and lured her outside as Sorokowski and St. Paul circled the block in Sorokowski’s Chrysler 300, waiting for an opportunity to shoot Chartrand.

Sorokowski testified, however, she was aware of no such plan to kill Chartrand.

Sorokowski said she, Chippeway, St. Paul, and another friend, Ashley Bezecki, had been using meth together earlier that day when they ended up parking outside the Northern Hotel on Main Street. While Bezecki was inside the hotel picking up some beer, Chippeway said he had received a text message from Chartrand.

“I didn’t know who she was until this happened,” said Sorokowski, telling jurors she understood at the time Chartrand was St. Paul’s ex-girlfriend.

When Bezecki returned to the car and learned about the message, she said: “Let’s go f—ing get her then,” Sorokowski alleged. “Ashley said: ‘I’m going to f—ing punch her out. I’m going to do her in.’”

Sorokowski drove to the 200 block of Spence Street, where they searched for the house number Chartrand had given Chippeway. She said they couldn’t find the house and dropped Chippeway off on Portage Avenue before circling the block a couple more times.

Sorokowski said they had spotted someone she assumed was Chartrand when she pulled the car over. She said she was watching Bezecki preparing to exit the car, when she heard St. Paul in the front passenger seat say: “I’m going to f—ing kill this bitch,” and fire the gun.

“After the silence, I hear an ‘oww,’” Sorokowski said. “Ashley’s door closed and I heard her say, ‘Go, go, go, go, go.’”

Sorokowski said they drove back to Portage Avenue to pick up Chippeway, and then to a Young Street apartment, where St. Paul disposed of the gun.

Chippeway and Bezecki left the area on foot, while Sorokowski and St. Paul drove to her mother’s Pembina Highway apartment and dropped off her car, Sorokowski said. The two shared a couple of cab rides, some time at a downtown bar, and bought more meth before Sorokowski said she finally departed for a friend’s apartment on Austin Street.

Asked why she remained with St. Paul so long, Sorokowski said: “I saw him kill somebody. I didn’t want to distance myself too far and have him come after me.” St. Paul’s lawyer, Stacey Soldier, alleged Sorokowski told a friend she “pretty much killed somebody.”

“Those words never came out of my mouth, because I never killed anybody,” Sorokowski replied.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca