Pubdate: Tue, 05 Oct, 1999
Source: Ottawa Sun (Canada)
Copyright: 1999, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.canoe.ca/OttawaSun/
Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/home.html
Comment: headline by newshawk
Author: Donna Casey, Ottawa Sun

DEALER TOO STRUNG OUT TO RECALL HOLDUP

A Jailed Drug Dealer Testified Yesterday He Couldn't Recall A String Of 
Violent Attacks That Left Many Of His Victims Clinging To Life.

Wyman Hadley, 38, told court he was once too strung out on cocaine, 
marijuana and painkillers to know if he had shot somebody.

"I heard something was in the newspapers the next day that somebody went to 
the hospital. I'm not sure if it was from me," Hadley said.

The career criminal continued his second day of testimony as the Crown's 
key witness in the second-degree murder trial of Martin Pinkus, who is 
accused of killing Danny Jones, 21, outside a Gloucester gas bar on Aug. 
24, 1995. He's also charged with one count of attempted murder and 
aggravated assault.

Hadley pleaded guilty to manslaughter in January for his role in Jones' 
killing.

Under cross-examination from defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, Hadley said 
he only pistol-whipped Diab Zahalan, the gas bar operator who the pair 
believed was carrying drugs and money.

"I think I hit Danny Jones but I think it was with my fist or I slapped 
him," Hadley said.

Defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon grilled Hadley about his prolific 
criminal past, which included hundreds of break-and-enter robberies, 
credit-card and cheque fraud and a thriving drug-dealing racket.

While he owned up to countless car thefts and wallet and purse snatchings, 
he was less forthcoming with details of a series of violent assaults 
spanning a 20-year period.

The 38-year-old man said he was "pretty sure" he never used a gun during a 
robbery, with the exception of the botched heist that killed Jones at 
Namer's gas bar and convenience store on Mitch Owens Rd.

But he admitted shooting a man who hunted him down over a drug debt just 
weeks before the Gloucester gas bar shooting.

Ricky Delorme was sitting in the passenger seat of his car when Hadley, who 
was driving, grabbed a .32 calibre handgun and fired two shots, one of 
which hit Delorme in the arm.

"He was right beside me and I figured he was going to shoot me so I shot 
him," he said.

Hadley said he couldn't remember if police questioned him extensively about 
the shooting when he gave his statement prior to pleading guilty to 
manslaughter. 
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