Jonathan Bacon's killers sentenced to life, 18-year terms

Three men who pleaded guilty to the 2011 shooting death of gangster Jonathan Bacon were sentenced today in B.C. Supreme Court.

Jason McBride was sentenced to life in prison with no chance ofparole for 18 years. He was also given a 15-year sentence for related attempted murders, which will be served concurrent to the life sentence.

Michael Jones and Jujhar Khun-Khun were sentenced to 18 years each for conspiracy to commit murder. They each will get eight years credit for time served and will not be eligible for parole for five years.

"This case has been complicated,"Judge Allan Bretton said at the sentencing on Wednesday morning in Kelowna. "It has been a highly complex case with significant challenges."

On Tuesday, all three pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy charges as part of a plea deal to end the case.

The Crown and defence entered a joint statement agreeingon recommended sentences, which was accepted by the judge at the sentencing hearing Wednesday morning.

Watch the surveillance video showing the fatal shooting of Jonathan Bacon by clicking on the video below.

Watch the surveillance video of the targeted shooting of Jonathan Bacon

6 years ago

Duration 1:11

Masked men executed the Red Scorpion gang leader in Kelowna, B.C. in 2011.

Shots fired in busy parking lot

Bacon, the eldest of three brothers linked to theRed Scorpions gang, wasshot and killed outside the Delta Grand Hotel in Kelowna, B.C., on the afternoon of Aug. 14, 2011.

He wasleaving the hotel with the others in a Porsche Cayenne when two men opened fire, court heard.

Three others werealso injured in the shooting: Hells Angels memberLarry Ameroandtwo women who'd been inthe SUV with Bacon.

One of thewomen,Leah Hadden-Watts,was left paralyzed. Court heard that her vertebrae were shattered by bullets, leaving her with permanent disabilities and a reduced life expectancy.

A fourthtargeted person gangster James Riach escaped injury and ran out of the car.

Original charges reduced

McBride, Jones andKhun-Khunwere initially arrested in 2013 and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.

They allpleaded not guilty to those offences. However, theywere charged with new offences after striking a plea deal earlier this spring.

On Tuesday, the B.C.ProsecutionService said it optedfor a plea deal in the interest of securingconvictions, as the case had beenmarred by delays and legal challenges.