Drug Deal Gone Wrong Led to Attack, Trial Told
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The Pickering 40 PAGES ✦ Pressrun 49,900 ✦ Metroland Durham Region Media Group ✦ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2006 ✦ Optional delivery $6 / Newsstand $1 AT PEACE ROAD TRIP Students have gift Girl can’t wait for the world to arrive Page 25 Page 16 Drug deal gone wrong led to attack, trial told Innocent man dissatisfaction with the dope -- and his insistence that Ms. Baker set stabbed three times things straight -- that led to the vio- at Pickering home lent confrontation, jurors heard. Mr. Grant, 25, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and By Jeff Mitchell weapons charges in connection Staff Writer with the stabbing, which he admits PICKERING — A drug deal that he committed. turned sour led to a violent con- Ms. Baker said that although she frontation on the front lawn of a knew Mr. Grant just in passing, she Pickering home last June, a jury helped him out when he asked if she heard at the beginning of a Superior knew where he could get his hands Court trial Wednesday. on a quantity of pot at a good price. Andrea Baker, 24, said a disagree- She said she introduced Mr. Grant to ment between two young men she a friend named Omar, and was pres- introduced started a simmering ent when the two men made a deal Ron Pietroniro/ News Advertiser photo feud that resulted in her brother, for a quarter pound of marijuana. Peter Shatalow has just completed a documentary of the Pickering airport issue, ‘Last Stand.’ It premieres March Greg Baker, being stabbed three Within a day or so Mr. Grant began 2 in Ajax. He’s been doing interviews and following events since 1998. times on the evening of June 11, repeatedly calling and showed up 2005. Mr. Baker had nothing to do at her parent’s home on Rosefield with the drug transaction that set Road, saying he’d been ripped off events in motion, she said. and demanding repayment, Ms. Ms. Baker testified Wednesday Baker testified. She said she repeat- Airport documentary takes off that she introduced Sean Tyrone edly told Mr. Grant that she had no Grant, an acquaintance who worked role in the deal and that he’d have to Film chronicles its world premiere March 2 on the lands as an airport site. As op- at a barber shop in her neighbour- take up his beef with Omar. 34th anniversary of the announce- position sprang up, Mr. Shatalow hood, to another friend who could It was on June 11, when Ms. Baker the 34-year battle ment of the Pickering airport and began to hear more about the ex- supply him with marijuana just days waged in Pickering the land expropriations. propriations of 1972 and the fight before the attack. It was Mr. Grant’s ✦ See Court, Page 2 Mr. Shatalow first became in- waged by POP. He thought it was a terested in the issue when he was great story. By Danielle Milley doing a television biography of “Just the initial injustice of it Thinking of Staff Writer artist Bill Lishman, who had been all,” said Mr. Shatalow, a producer, Hardwood? PICKERING — A documentary involved with the People Or Planes writer, director, cinematographer Give your home a new more than seven years in the mak- (POP) fight against the airport in and editor. He has produced both Settler Trail ing about an issue 34 years in the the early 1970s. award-winning documentaries look for Winter Wednesday, March 15 making is finally getting its debut. Mr. Shatalow’s wife grew up in and features. “To take land away We are Durham’s fl ooring experts! 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Peter Shatalow began research- Greenwood and the two thought from people for really nothing >>`>Ê>À`Ü`Ê Pickering Museum Village ing, filming and interviewing the idea of a Pickering airport was other than a political reason.” Log sawing, activities & more community activists about the a dead one when they moved back The film uses interviews, old À}ÊV° Pickering airport lands in 1998. there in 1994. But in 1998 the fed- photos and press clippings to tell 1547 Bayly St., Pickering 905.683.8401 That work has resulted in the doc- eral government declared its in- 905-420-3285 cityofpickering.com/museum umentary ‘Last Stand,’ which has tention to designate the Pickering ✦ See Filmmaker, Page 4 900 Champlain Ave., Oshawa ONE 905-723-4561 LOCATION Affordable Quality... ONLY Hours: Mon.• Tues.• Wed. 10-6, Thurs.• Fri. 10-9, Sat. 10-6, Sun.11-5 OSHAWA www.sklargallery.com Exceptional Warranty Superior Construction OSHAWA Fast Delivery Durham’s Newest & Largest Sklar Peppler Furnishings Store! life • style • solutions P PAGE 2 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, February 24, 2006 durhamregion.com CUPE s trike averted by six-year review, but bill will cost Pickering ‘No big improvements of Public Employees over Bill 206 The legislation dealing with the Roger Anderson, Durham chair- cost taxpayers three per cent. has been averted. Ontario Municipal Employees Re- man and president of the Asso- “No big improvements were were made,’ CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan tirement System (OMERS) was in- ciation of Municipalities of Ontario, made to the bill. In fact, no im- stepped down a provincewide job troduced for third and final reading has a mixed reaction to the whole provements were made,” Mr. An- By Erin Hatfield action scheduled to begin Thurs- in the Ontario Legislature Tuesday ordeal. derson said. Staff Writer day at midnight. afternoon. “I am glad the employees are at The Province has agreed to re- PICKERING — A potentially crip- “We have had good, productive, The act entails changes to pen- work and they didn’t have to go view the legislation in six years, pling strike by the Canadian Union constructive discussions with the sions and better benefits for police out on strike,” Mr. Anderson said. which was what stayed the strike, government during the course of and fire personnel. OMERS is the “However, (the provincial govern- but that is not acceptable to Mr. the last 24 hours,” Mr. Ryan said pension plan for about 355,000 cur- ment) have passed legislation with- Anderson. Court hears tape Wednesday on the CUPE website. rent and former employees, includ- out any regard for the taxpayer at “In six years from now an awful “As I and the premier both said this ing municipal governments, school all. We don’t support this bill. It will lot of damage can happen,” he said. morning we have been working boards, libraries, police and fire de- cost the taxpayers a lot of money.” “The Province didn’t give any- of phone message hard at a solution that is mutually partments, children’s aid societies Mr. Anderson holds to an ear- thing. Most legislation has a review satisfactory.” and other local agencies. lier estimate that the legislation will clause.” ✦ Court from page 1 was preparing to have some friends and family over for a barbecue, that Single DO NOT she received an ominous voice mail Mattress PAY TIL message from Mr. Grant. Jurors lis- from tened as prosecutor Glenn Brother- ston played a recording. $ “So I call your phone and I leave 2007 79 O.A.C. you all these messages and you can’t call me back,” Mr. Grant was heard to say on the tape. “Well, I’ll be coming to your yard and that will make you know.” The summer day was fading to INVENTORY CLEARANCE evening when Mr. Grant showed up at the Rosefield townhouse, Ms. Baker testified. She went to talk to 25 Year Warranty 10 Year Warranty 25 Year Warranty him in the driveway, but Mr. Grant once more became agitated, de- manding money, she said. It was at that point Greg Baker stepped in and the two began to struggle, $ $ $ jurors heard. When the two men were sepa- rated, Mr. Grant pulled a knife, Ms. 169 Baker said. She said he threw a plas- 149 119 tic bag full of marijuana aside and advanced with the weapon. EACH PIECE EACH PIECE EACH PIECE “I’m going to take your brother’s life,” she recalled Mr. Grant saying. The fracas worsened with a friend of Mr. Grant’s stepping out of the CHOOSE ANY SIZE AT ONE LOW PRICE shadows to join in, Ms. Baker said. Grant Baker grabbed a baseball bat Sold As from the house and smacked the TWIN • DOUBLE • QUEEN Sets Only other, as yet unidentified man in the head. In his opening address to jurors, Monaco Vanessa Mr. Brotherston said it was then that Bed Day Bed Mr. Grant fell on the 28-year-old Mr. Baker with the knife, stabbing him $ $ repeatedly in the chest. The knife 309 149 severed an artery and lacerated one of Mr. Baker’s lungs. After emer- Canopy Bed Deep Drawers gency treatment at a local hospital Mates Bed he was airlifted to intensive care in $ 7 Piece Futon Bunk Black $ Toronto for life-saving surgery. 349 239 The trial continues. Bedroom Suite Only Complete Futon Promo DIANE Complete $ $ Bunk Bed COUTURE $189 1198 389 $239 Trustee in Canada’s Largest Mattress & Furniture Company Bankruptcy Evening & Weekend Appointments FREE CONSULTATIONS Advice on proposals, FACTORY DIRECT TO YOU bankruptcy and alternatives. Helping the people of Oshawa since 1986. Book your appointment today… Ease your mind tomorrow. 78 Albert St. @ corner of Bruce (905) 725-2790 www.dianecouture.com durhamregion.com THE NEWS ADVERTISER, February 24, 2006 PAGE 3 P Pickering not quite sold on banning replica guns By Danielle Milley “If parents wish to have their children ship on the bylaw and to refer it to staff to Staff Writer play with guns in their own backyard, prepare a bylaw for council’s approval.