Greg Fertuck threatened to shoot, bury wife: Crown witnesses
Lucas Fertuck says he remembers his dad Greg threatening his mom Sheree before the couple separated.
"He said that he would shoot her between the eyes," Lucas said, testifying Wednesday at Saskatoon's Court of Queen's Bench, where his dad Greg Fertuck is on trial.
Greg is accused of killing his estranged wife Sheree Fertuck, Lucas's mom, on Dec. 7, 2015 — the last day she was seen alive. The 51-year-old woman's body has never been found. Greg has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
The last time Lucas spoke to his mom was just before she went missing. He was in Boston for a football game and she wished him a happy birthday. He said he never heard from her again.
Lucas told the court that he witnessed violent incidents between Greg and Sheree when he was younger. Like his sister Lanna, who testified earlier during the trial, he recounted Greg's gambling and drinking creating tension for the couple. He said they also fought about finances. Sometimes the fights would become physical, with the couple pushing and shoving each other.
One time in 2011 Sheree called the police on Greg after a violent incident and police found an uzi (a prohibited weapon). Officers seized all of Greg's weapons. Lucas said Greg was upset by that and blamed Sheree.
Lucas agreed during cross examination that, despite the dysfunction he was talking about, the family did have some good times together. Some of those good times involved fishing and hunting with Greg.
Lucas said his dad was a good shot and had lots of guns. Court previously heard that Greg's gun collection was valued at $30,000.
'I'm gonna bury the bitch'
Lucas wasn't the only one to confirm Greg was a good shot. Ronald Stachowich, 76, also testified Wednesday.
He said he knew Greg for years because they both spent years working for the CN railroad. The two became friends and also went on fishing and hunting trips. Sometimes they would bring their wives along, and sometimes Greg brought his children, too. Stachowich testified that people at work got along with Greg.
Stachowich testified about Greg showing up at his door one day not long after Stachowich's wife died in 2011. Greg allegedly told Stachowich he had been kicked out of his house, mentioning a "restraining order."
Stachowich started to notice that Greg would become "mad, mean and angry at his wife Sheree" when he was drinking.
"He'd say things like, excuse my language, 'I'm gonna bury the bitch in the north-40'" and talk about "what he was going to do to her," Stachowich said
He said he asked Greg to leave his home once Greg started dating a different woman who had her own house in Saskatoon. Greg's lawyers did not question Stachowich.
'Never heard gunfire'
The Crown's case against Greg relies on a complicated undercover police operation, known as a "Mr. Big" sting. Court has heard the months-long sting elicited a confession from Greg, who told undercover officers that he shot Sheree twice at the gravel pit where she worked.
Police found two .22 bullet casings at the pit near where Sheree's abandoned semi-truck was found in April 2016 during a tactical search of the ground after the snow melt.
John McJannet Jr. testified Wednesday that he's never noticed any evidence of people using guns in the pit. His father owns the gravel pit in question and lives nearby it.
"Never heard gunfire. Never saw anybody down there shooting."
During cross examination, defence lawyer Morris Bodnar suggested that it's not uncommon for people to go into gravel pits to sight their guns or shoot.
McJanet agreed, but repeated he'd never seen evidence of gunfire in their pit.
The judge-only trial is being presided over by Justice Richard Danyliuk, who will decide what evidence from the Mr. Big sting will be admissible to the trial once the Crown concludes its case.
The trial is scheduled for eight weeks and continues Thursday.
