GUILTY, BUT OF WHAT?

He admits he played a part in the 2002 beating death of a 41-year-old
Richmond pot grower.

But his exact role in the killing of Vi Soi Hoang has yet to be determined.

The "he" in this case is an 18-year-old male who, for the past week,
has been the subject of a sentencing hearing on a charge of
manslaughter before B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.

Age 16 at the time of Hoang's death, the youth's identity is protected
from publication.

The Crown asserts the youth fatally beat Hoang Sept. 9, 2002 after the
victim and another man interrupted a marijuana grow rip at Hoang's
rental house at 8391 No. 4 Road. Hoang died one day later of his injuries.

For his part, the youth doesn't deny killing Hoang. Initially charged
with second-degree murder, he entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge
of manslaughter at an earlier court date. But there are still
questions on exactly what actions he undertook to effect that death.

On Monday, co-accused in the case, Milad Saffari, took the stand in an
effort to colour in some of the missing details. Dressed in the red
pants and T-shirt uniform of a federal prisoner, Saffari is, himself,
awaiting sentencing for manslaughter in the same death. That ruling is
expected to come down June 14 in Richmond provincial court.

But his testimony Monday proved little help to the Crown. Saffari
repeatedly told the court he couldn't remember what anyone else did or
said the night Hoang was killed.

"That night was a very tragic night for me and I don't want to
remember," he told the court in a slow, almost incomprehensible voice.
"I don't remember 98 per cent of what happened that night."

In an effort to jump start his witness's memory, Crown lawyer Elliot
Poll played a tape of a cellphone conversation intercepted by police
during the subsequent investigation into Hoang's death.

The voices recorded have been identified as Saffari and another man
involved in the incident, Parminder Soor. Saffari can be heard
repeatedly telling Soor to go to find the weapon, a stick, with which
the youth used to beat his victim.

"You're an idiot, man," Saffari says on tape. "(The youth) was holding
that stick _ I want to know what he did with that stick, that stick he
hit buddy with."

On the stand, however, Saffari looked blank. "I don't remember having
this conversation," he said.

The sentencing hearing continues this week. A ruling by Madame Justice
Humphries is not expected until after all evidence is presented and a
psychiatric assessment on the youth is complete.

Two others arrested in the case - Soor, now 19, and a second youth, 17
at the time of the incident - have already been sentenced. Both young
men were ordered to serve six months in jail on charges of break,
enter and robbery in connection with the case.