On June 9th of 2005 Sydney Bradley was gunned down on west canal near his home. Police arrested and charged Michael Faux and today a jury found the 20 year old guilty. It was a unanimous verdict of all 12 jurors. Prosecutor Audrey Matura told us the verdict was hard won because of alleged witness tampering. And while that's her story, on the other hand, defense attorney Michael Peyrefitte says he's now going to try and convince the judge to not impose the death penalty.
Audrey Matura, Crown Counsel
"At the start of the case we had difficulty trying to get the witnesses to talk. We know one witness risked his life by taking the stand and another witness just out right refused because of all sorts of threats to the point that the witness saying many things that we couldn't believe, the prosecution could not believe that that was a reliable witness anymore. And I think I biggest concern now after the fact is that the violence will continue because everyday here at the courthouse we had subtle little threats going on and now that the verdict came out, there was a group of people across the park already shouting things. As the accused passed he said this wasn't finished yet. It is sad that there seems to be an ongoing war and although one young man is dead and one convicted, there is no end to it."
Michael Peyrefitte, Defense Attorney
"Essentially there are only two sentences for a person who is found guilty of murder and that is life in prison and death by hanging. So I have to present mitigation pleas to the judge on Monday to try and convince him to not impose the death sentence on Michael Faux.
Michael Faux I am sure has people who can testify to the fact that he is not a totally bad person. He is not an individual who would do something like this normally and that the purpose of the mitigation is to show the court that this is an individual who may have done something just once in his life, certainly it is a very serious offense he is being found guilty of.
But essentially when we look at the viciousness or the lack of viciousness of the crime and all the different factors have to be taken into consideration, then the judge would consider hopefully that this is an individual whose life should not be taken away."
Justice Adolph Lucas will hear mitigation pleas on Monday March 5th.
