Evidence missing details: accused killer's lawyer

Triple murder suspect Real Honorio’s confessions to undercover cops lacked crucial details the real killer would have, his lawyer told a jury Monday.

Defence counsel Greg Dunn said “hold back” evidence police keep secret to weed out false confessions, wasn’t included in Honorio’s comments to officers posing as members of a criminal organization.

Dunn noted Honorio told Sgt. Darren Berglind, who acted as the syndicate’s “Mr. Big,” a variety of different calibre weapons were used in Calgary’s New Year’s Day massacre.

“He’s guessing,” Dunn told a four-woman, eight-man Court of Queen’s Bench jury.

“I know he said he did it, but he doesn’t know the hold-back,” the lawyer said.

Honorio faces three charges of first-degree murder in connection with the Jan. 1, 2009 shooting deaths of gangster, Sanjeev Mann, his associate, Aaron Bendle, and innocent bystander Keni Su’a.

Mann and Bendle were killed in a hail of bullets inside the Bolsa restaurant off Macleod Tr. S., while Su’a, a regular patron of the eatery, was slain outside while fleeing the carnage.

Dunn said Honorio, who admitted dealing firearms to members of the FOB gang, a rival to Mann’s FK group, should have been able to tell Berglind the calibres of the three weapons used.

“If he knows anything about this offence it’s going to be the weapons — if he’s the killer — and he doesn’t.”

But Crown prosecutor Rajbir Dhillon said Honorio would have no motive to lie about his involvement in the slayings, and only told Berglind about his role in hopes the crime boss could assist him.

Those witnesses, known only as C.E. and M.M., told police Honorio was one of two gunmen who entered the restaurant and fired away.

C.E., a former associate of Honorio’s with the 403 Soldiers, another gang which allegedly teamed up with the FOB to target FK members, would have no reason to lie about his one-time friend, Dhillon said.

“If the accused’s confession is not true, if the accused is not guilty, it would be the most implausible of conspiracies,” Dhillon said.

“It would be absolutely impossible the accused would come out with the same story ... to falsely incriminate himself.”

Jurors will hear final instructions Tuesday.