Behind bars for his wife香蕉视频直播檚 murder, Peter Beckett hatched a plan with his cellmate to get rid of anyone in the way of his future freedom and wealth, a Kelowna jury heard this week.
Beckett, a former New Zealand city councillor, was arrested and charged with murder a year after the Aug. 18, 2010 drowning of Laura Letts-Beckett in Upper Arrow Lake, near Revelstoke. While awaiting trial at Fraser Regional Correctional Centre in July 2012 he told his cellmate that he didn香蕉视频直播檛 deserve the charge, though his story didn香蕉视频直播檛 ring true.
香蕉视频直播淗e explained to me he was out boating in a zodiac with his wife and told me he was positioned in a way where he was facing the stern of the boat and fishing, and his wife was up front, at the bow, and he said he didn香蕉视频直播檛 notice that she香蕉视频直播檇 fallen off of it. He didn香蕉视频直播檛 see her flailing under water,香蕉视频直播� the former cellmate, whose name is protected under a publication ban, told the court in testimony that started Tuesday and continued through to Thursday.
香蕉视频直播淎nd I said, 香蕉视频直播榠s that your story, is that what you said to police?香蕉视频直播� and he said, 香蕉视频直播榶eah,香蕉视频直播� and I said, 香蕉视频直播榶ou香蕉视频直播檙e f**ked.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
The cellmate testified that he had lots of experience on the water, and a zodiac is a very buoyant boat.
A guy such as Beckett, who is six-feet-nine inches tall and 400 pounds, sitting in the steer of the boat would feel a change in the balance.
香蕉视频直播淚 said that bow would have been standing straight in the air as soon as she fell off,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈How you didn香蕉视频直播檛 feel that or hear that in the boat, that香蕉视频直播檚 impossible.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
In time Beckett changed his story, and said perhaps his wife gently lowered herself from the zodiac and slipped into the water.
That, however, wasn香蕉视频直播檛 the only reason he saw a conviction in his future.
The cellmate told jurors that when he asked Beckett for details on evidence the police had and witnesses queued up to speak, he was convinced he香蕉视频直播檇 be convicted.
One woman in particular, said the cellmate, had the most damming evidence.
香蕉视频直播淚 said if she showed up you香蕉视频直播檙e done,香蕉视频直播� he told jurors.
That seemed to trigger a reaction in Beckett and a week later, after the cellmate changed cells, Mr. Beckett showed up at his door with his bail form. The form indicated who Beckett was supposed to stay away from once he was freed香蕉视频直播� including the aforementioned woman香蕉视频直播� the Letts family and their lawyer.
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Beckett told his cellmate there was a lot of money with 香蕉视频直播渨ills, and properties and life insurance policies,香蕉视频直播� involved in his case.
香蕉视频直播�(Beckett) started going on about how we could live a lavish lifestyle on the outs, and how there香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of money involved,香蕉视频直播� said the former cellmate.
香蕉视频直播淗e knew I was getting out and I was well known in the system, and I hung out with shady characters on the street.香蕉视频直播�
As the cellmate built up his reputation as a criminal with clout, Beckett seemingly tried to win favour by bringing him weekly canteen supplies香蕉视频直播攋unk food and cooking supplies that only arrive weekly.
He also talked a lot about moving to Costa Rica together if only the cellmate could kill the Letts family and the witnesses.
He told jurors that he was to take out the witness 香蕉视频直播淢VA style香蕉视频直播� and the family by burning his house. Supreme Court Justice Alison Beames told them that the evidence about methodology was to be disregarded going forward.
The cellmate then testified that he sent a letter to the lead RCMP investigator sharing his conversations with Beckett.
香蕉视频直播淭his case started to bother me 香蕉视频直播� I think a lot of the reason I contacted (the RCMP case investigator) was my sister was murdered and it tore my family to pieces. This kept eating at me. I was thinking about what that family was going through.香蕉视频直播�
Defence lawyer Marilyn Sandford raised the witness香蕉视频直播檚 extensive criminal record in cross examination, pointing out that starting in 1982 there were a number of convictions for robberies, fraudulent use of credit cards and dangerous driving.
She also highlighted portions of his prison diary to seemingly undermine his credibility.
The cellmate hadn香蕉视频直播檛 just offered up Beckett. In a correspondence with the Mountie who was investigating the Beckett case, the cellmate spoke of his connections to the Sanghera gang.
香蕉视频直播淧erhaps we could take down the entire Sanghera crime family,香蕉视频直播� Sandford read from his the witness香蕉视频直播檚 diary. They were rivals of the Bacon brothers, the Red Scorpions, and the UN gang at the time.
The cellmate said they香蕉视频直播檇 become friends in pretrial confinement.
香蕉视频直播淪o it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 your sister香蕉视频直播檚 death that caused you to do something,香蕉视频直播� said Sandford, adding that the cellmate just wanted to be a police informant.
香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檙e so far on the left it香蕉视频直播檚 starting to frighten me,香蕉视频直播� the cellmate said. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e here to talk about this case. I don香蕉视频直播檛 care about some dead Sanghera.香蕉视频直播�
n opening statements, the Crown alleged that Beckett had taken out a sizeable accidental death insurance policy on his wife and he had his eyes on her part of a family inheritance. The Letts family are wealthy, fourth-generation cattle ranchers from Alberta.
