Guilty plea ends 2020 murder trial

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This article was published 19/10/2021 (1627 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A day after he pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, a Winnipeg man admitted to fatally shooting another man in the face.

Christian Bruce will be sentenced to life in prison, after Crown prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to the lesser charge of second-degree murder Tuesday, the second day of his trial.

He admitted killing 24-year-old Vincent (Vinny) Ross inside Ross’s apartment in the 500 Block of College Avenue on March 16, 2020. The residence is a known street-gang hangout where methamphetamine is sold, court was told, and both men were gang associates who knew each other.

Bruce wiped away tears as he sat in the prisoner’s box in a Winnipeg courtroom Tuesday afternoon to enter his guilty plea.

He admitted to shooting Ross but claimed he didn’t intend to kill him. He confronted the man about a previous incident that Ross denied, and then fired one shot from about two metres away.

According to the facts of the case as agreed upon by Crown and defence lawyers, “Bruce did not intend to kill the victim, however, he was reckless as to whether death or grievous bodily harm would result.”

When his trial began Monday, Bruce pleaded not guilty and listened to testimony from police officers who responded to the homicide scene.

One of the Crown’s key witnesses, Ralph Zebrasky, testified Monday he saw the shooting happen. He was present with several other people in the College Avenue home when Bruce walked in, pulled out a sawed-off .22-calibre gun, and shot Ross as the man and his girlfriend were sitting in the living room.

Zebrasky testified Bruce “shot him right there in front of us.”

Ross’s girlfriend, Shaylene Williams, was subpoenaed to testify as a material witness for the Crown, but didn’t show up. A warrant was issued for her arrest and Crown prosecutors indicated Tuesday they intend to ask a judge to find her in contempt of court.

The trial was interrupted Monday when one of the spectators used her cellphone in court, in violation of the Law Courts policy, and appeared to film Bruce walking to the courtroom with sheriff’s officers. Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Anne Turner ordered the woman to delete the videos and confiscated her phone for the remainder of the afternoon court session.

Bruce was 28 when he was charged in March 2020. He is expected to be sentenced in February.

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with a minimum of 10 years served before being allowed to apply for parole.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay