TEEN ADMITS TO TARGETING DRUG RIVALS

A Winnipeg gang member took the witness stand in a high-profile murder
trial Thursday and admitted to starting a chain of events that ended
with the tragic shooting death of an innocent bystander.

The 15-year-old witness -- who can't be named because he has a record
of criminal convictions -- admits he repeatedly targeted several
drug-dealing rivals with bear mace, bricks, gas bombs and guns in the
fall of 2005.

He was called as a Crown witness to testify against a 17-year-old who
is on trial for the killing of Phil Haiart, 17, who was struck down by
a stray bullet as he walked in the area of Sargent Avenue and Maryland
Street.

The youth's testimony comes after three other witnesses refused to
take the stand last week. They have all been charged with contempt of
court, with one man getting a three-year prison term. The other two
will be sentenced June 25.

The youth told jurors Thursday he hasn't been charged for any of his
admitted offences because police just wanted him to testify against
the accused killer and his co-accused, Jeffrey Cansanay.

The teen and his two older brothers are members of the Mad Cowz, who
were at war with several former members during the summer of 2005
after they left to form their own criminal crew called the African
Mafia.

Several of their targets were selling drugs out of a McGee Street home
that the Mad Cowz wanted to shut down because it was on their "turf"
and taking away business, he said.

Both Cansanay and the teen now on trial for Haiart's killing were
living in the so-called crackhouse at the time. The teen witness told
jurors how he took it upon himself to let Cansanay and the accused
teen know they weren't welcome.

Jurors have not been told about the fate of Cansanay's criminal
charges.

In the days preceding the deadly shooting, the teen admits he arranged
for a brick to be thrown into the home and sprayed bear mace in the
face of the ex-member who he said was "talking s--t" and needed to be
put in his place.

There was also an exchange of gunfire on Oct. 9 in which the teen
admits to buying a rifle for the sole purpose of going to meet
Cansanay and the accused teen, then confronting them outside the McGee
Street home.