A B.C. man convicted of the second-degree murder of a woman in a Maple Ridge drug house has been sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility for 14 years.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Murray Blok also sentenced Justin Michael Wareing, 33, to 13 years imprisonment for attempted murder.

A New Westminster jury found Wareing guilty May 3 after 25 days of trial, Blok said in his Oct. 11 sentencing decision.

Cashmere Ali died as a result of being shot in the head. Blok said paramedics used advanced life support systems to help her but she died at a hospital.

Matthew Whitty’s injuries consisted of gunshot wounds to his left knee, his back near his upper right shoulder, an entry wound close to his right eye and nose and an exit wound in his left cheek.  

“The gunshot to his face injured his right eye and fractured his nose in many places,” Blok said. “The gunshot to his right shoulder fractured his clavicle and shoulder blade.”

Blok said the offences took place July 15, 2022 in a Maple Ridge hangout residence for drug users.

“The evidence indicates there were seven or eight people in or around the house at the time of the shooting,” he said.

The judge said Wareing and Whitty testified that two days prior to the shooting, they and other residents of the house participated in a robbery of a drug dealer. Both were armed, with Wareing carrying a semi-automatic 3D-printed handgun and Whitty with a .22 calibre handgun.

Wareing testified that after the robbery, he was given information from an anonymous source suggesting Whitty had withheld some of the robbery proceeds for himself.

Wareing was under a lifetime weapons ban at the time of the offences.

“The reasons why Mr. Wareing began shooting are not clear, but it seems to have been an impulsive act,” Blok wrote. “It resulted in a completely senseless killing.”

The events

Blok said that, prior to the shooting, Ali and Whitty were seated beside one another on a couch in the living room.

Wareing arrived at the house with the 3D-printed gun and confronted Whitty about owing him money. 

“On Mr. Whitty’s evidence, Mr. Wareing confronted him about ‘talking shit’ to others about Mr. Wareing,” Blok said.

Whitty testified that during the confrontation, Wareing grabbed Whitty’s leg and shot him in the knee.  

“He said Ms. Ali then ‘popped up’ or leaned forward to push Mr. Wareing away, and Mr. Wareing shot her in the head,” the judge said.

“Mr. Wareing then continued to shoot at Mr. Whitty as Mr. Whitty tried to escape.”

Wareing, however, testified he stood up to leave after the argument ended, turned to the exit and then heard the sound of a gunshot behind him.

“He took his gun out, swivelled and then ‘shot up the living room,’ to use his words,” Blok said.

Blok said Wareing then fled, having made no effort to call 911 for any assistance for the victims. 

He went to a nearby residence where he changed his appearance by shaving his head. Then, he attempted to flee out the back door when police came to apprehend him.

The court heard there was another person in the house with a gun but there was no indication he was in the living room or fired in the incident.

‘Rogue Assassin’ tattoo

Blok said Wareing, a father of a boy born in 2017, has a history of drug problems with brief stays in recovery houses.

“In 2018, Mr. Wareing had the words ‘Rogue Assassin’ tattooed across his face, under each eye,” Blok wrote.

Wareing has a criminal record including crimes of violence dating from March 2017.  

The convictions mostly relate to a December 2018 crime spree that resulted in convictions for five robberies, four convictions for using an imitation firearm while committing an indictable offence, and one conviction for flight from police.  He also has a conviction for theft over $5,000, assaulting a peace officer, breach of an undertaking and a conviction for assaulting his girlfriend.

The convictions for the December 2018 robberies and related offences resulted in an effective three-year jail sentence, Blok said.

The Crown said Wareing was disciplined for the multiple stabbing of another North Fraser Pretrial Centre inmate in March. 

“Mr. Wareing attempted to re-engage in the assault after the stabbing despite the efforts of staff and the use of pepper spray,” Blok said.

 The Crown had sought 18 and 20 years before parole eligibility on the murder conviction and 20 years on the attempted murder charge.