No parole for 14 years after Maple Ridge murder conviction

A Maple Ridge man has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years after a jury convicted him of manslaughter and attempted murder for his actions at a city drug hangout in July 2022.

The jury found Justin Michael Wareing guilty of the murder of 35-year-old Cashmere Ali and the attempted murder of Matthew Whitty, who was shot multiple times but survived.

Wareing, then 31 years old, was charged with the offenses a few days after they occurred at a home near 226 Street and 119 Avenue.

At the time, homicide detectives described him as “a major public safety concern in the Maple Ridge area,” and said the city “is safer today with Mr. Wareing in custody.”

In a sentencing decision issued Friday, BC Supreme Court Justice Murray B. Blok shared details of the crime and Wareing’s criminal history that match this police description.

The shootings

According to Blok’s decision, the circumstances that led to Wareing’s crimes began two days prior to the shooting, when he and Whitty — along with other residents of the home — participated in a robbery of a drug dealer.

“Both Mr. Wareing and Mr. Whitty had weapons during that robbery,” the decision reads.

“Mr. Wareing had a semi-automatic, 3D-printed pistol and Mr. Whitty had a .22-caliber pistol made of metal. Mr. Whitty testified that his gun was accidentally fired during that robbery and so he threw the items away .” that gun right after.”

Wareing told the court that after the robbery he received information “from an anonymous source” that Whitty had kept some of the stolen goods for himself.

The two men disagreed about what exactly happened the day of the shooting, but both told the court that Wareing arrived at the house on the morning of July 15, 2022, and confronted Whitty.

Wareing claimed the confrontation had to do with the robbery money Whitty allegedly owed him, while Whitty claimed Wareing confronted him about Whitty “talking” to others about Wareing.

In Wareing’s version of events, “the argument came to an end” and he got up to leave the room. He claimed he turned his back to the couch where Whitty and Ali were sitting, but then heard a shot behind him.

“He grabbed his gun, turned around and then shot ‘into the living room’, to use his words,” Blok’s decision reads.

Whitty claimed Wareing’s actions were more intentional and unprovoked, saying Wareing grabbed his leg and shot him in the knee during their argument.

“He said Ms. Ali then ‘popped up’ or leaned over to push Mr. Wareing away, and Mr. Wareing shot her in the head,” the decision reads. “Mr. Wareing then continued to fire at Mr. Whitty as Mr. Whitty attempted to escape.”

Wareing’s defense argued that his claim that he heard a shot before firing his weapon should serve as a mitigating factor in the case, but Blok considered the evidence and determined that, on the balance of probabilities, it did not prove that there was a shot was fired. fired before Wareing started shooting.

Regardless of who shot first, Wareing fled the scene and “made no effort to call 911 for any assistance for the victims,” ​​the decision said. Instead, he ran to a nearby home, where he shaved his head to change his appearance.

Paramedics were able to keep Ali alive and take her to a hospital, but she eventually succumbed to her injuries.

Background of the perpetrator

Blok’s decision indicates that Wareing grew up in Maple Ridge and had a Grade 12 education. He was “largely unemployed” from 2013 to 2018, although he has worked “in restaurants, warehouses, roofers and construction companies” in the past, according to the decision.

“Mr. Wareing was homeless, at least at times, from approximately 2015, living with friends or in shelters,” the decision reads. “He was using drugs at the time – methamphetamine – and drugs were a big part of his life. He spent some short periods of time in recovery centers, but he did not continue treatment.”

According to the decision, Wareing’s criminal record includes several “violent crimes” that began in March 2017.

A ‘crime wave’ in December 2018 resulted in convictions for five robberies, four counts of using an imitation firearm while committing a criminal offense and one count of fleeing police.

He has also been convicted of theft over $5,000, assault on a peace officer, breach of bond and assault.

Earlier this year, while on remand at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre, Wareing was punished for “stabbing another inmate multiple times,” the decision said.

“In 2018, Mr. Wareing had the words ‘Rogue Assassin’ tattooed on his face, under each eye,” the decision reads.

Blok also noted that Wareing had attended “every program available at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre” and received support from family members who attended his trial.

“The defense has submitted letters of support from Mr. Wareing’s family, describing him as a kind and loving person, and in other positive terms when not struggling with drug addiction,” the decision reads.

Sentenced

Because the jury convicted him of murder, Wareing automatically faced a life sentence. The questions Blok had to answer were how many years he had to serve before being eligible for parole, and how many years he had to serve for the attempted murder conviction.

The judge began his decision by noting that Wareing “will not be released” even after his parole ineligibility period has expired, if the Parole Board of Canada is not satisfied that he can return safely to society.

“I would also like to emphasize that the period of ineligibility imposed does not reflect the value of the life lost, but rather takes into account a variety of factors, including the seriousness of the crime, the moral turpitude of the perpetrator and the circumstances of the case,” the decision reads.

Prosecutors asked Blok to impose a parole period of 18 to 20 years, while the defense asked for a term of 13 years.

Blok weighed a number of aggravating factors in the case, including Wareing’s use of a 3D-printed firearm, his ‘callous indifference’ to the fate of the people he shot, and the fact that he was already banned from using firearms for life. and the fact that the shooting took place in a home where several other people were present.

The judge also concluded that there were no mitigating factors in the case, noting that Wareing’s response – “of course” – when asked if he had any regrets about Ali’s death, “seemed more perfunctory than sincere.”

After investigating similar cases, Blok decided to sentence Wareing to 14 years without parole for the murder charge, and to 13 years in prison for attempted murder. This latter sentence was reduced to less than 10 years after applying credit for time spent in pre-trial detention.

Notably, it appears that a second, unrelated murder charge against Wareing has been dropped.

A man named Justin Michael Wareing was charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of 41-year-old Arthur Comeau in Maple Ridge in April 2022. That charge was filed in June 2023.

Online court records show the murder charge in that case was stayed on September 19 at the request of prosecutors.

CTV News contacted the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and the BC Prosecution Service to confirm that the same man was charged with both murders and that proceedings in connection with Comeau’s death have been stayed.

IHIT declined to comment and referred all questions to the BCPS, which has not yet responded.