The Canadian Press

Girlfriend urged to have somebody 'take care' of witness in RCMP slaying

Fri Nov 6, 7:14 PM

By The Canadian Press

YELLOWKNIFE - A jury has heard the man accused of killing an RCMP officer tell his girlfriend during a recorded conversation that somebody should "take care" of a cab driver who was a potential witness in the case.

The jury is hearing evidence in the first-degree murder trial of Emrah Bulatci, 25, who is charged in the shooting death of Const. Christopher Worden Oct. 6, 2007 in Hay River, N.W.T.

Bulatci hung his head in court as the jury heard eight audio clips recorded during visits with his family and girlfriend while he was in jail in Yellowknife in the weeks after Worden's slaying.

"If you get a chance to talk to your dad, try to get him to send somebody to take care of the cab driver," Bulatci told his girlfriend, Sarah McAuley, during a visit on Oct. 20, 2007.

"If that happened, then I'll be out in like three months."

The trial has been told that cab driver Soren Neilsen saw Bulatci run from Worden and then heard gun shots the day the officer was killed.

In a clip from Nov. 11, 2007, Bulatci told his father in his native language, Turkish: "There's this one man; if that man doesn't show up, I'll win. I'll get out right away."

Bulatci also told family members: "Nobody saw. Nobody saw me shoot the gun."

Bulatci has admitted he shot the officer, but argues he didn't intend to kill him.

The Crown is expected to wrap up its case on Monday.

Defence lawyers expect to take two days next week to state their case, with Bulatci scheduled to be the last person to take the stand.