Former Hells Angel gets deal in bar homicide - Winnipeg Free Press

Former Hells Angel gets deal in bar homicide - Winnipeg Free Press: "former Manitoba Hells Angels member struck a deal with justice officials Wednesday that saw him admit to killing a man inside a Winnipeg bar in exchange for his immediate freedom.
Billy Bowden, 34, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to two years of time already served, which was given double-time credit of four years. He was expected to be returned to the community by the end of the day.
Bowden admitted to playing a role in the November 2007 stabbing death of 24-year-old Jeff Engen inside the Empire Cabaret. A co-accused, Matt Wegier, remains before the courts and is set to go on trial in March 2011.
Prosecutor Daniel Chaput told Queen’s Bench Justice Rick Saull there were several problems with the Crown’s case against Bowden that prompted the plea bargain for a much lighter sentence than usual. Although there were more than 50 potential witnesses to the killing, Chaput said 'surprisingly very few had much to say about what happened.'
As well, there are no witnesses putting the knife in Bowden’s hand and the Crown can only prove he participated in the group attack.
'It was the unknowns the Crown struggled with. We couldn’t say who stabbed the victim. We couldn’t say Mr. Bowden knew a knife was present or that the victim was being stabbed,' said Chaput."