A woman accused of murder testified in court today that her husband told her he planned to shoot and kill the victims in the case.
Lucy Li was on the stand for the second day of questioning.
She and her husband, Oliver Karafa, are charged in the shooting death of 30-year-old Tyler Pratt in February 2021, and the shooting of Pratt’s girlfriend, Jordyn Romano, who was injured.
The shooting happened in Stoney Creek, where they were supposed to be scouting out a warehouse for a marijuana grow op.
Li said she was on the other side of the building when the gunfire broke out and that Karafa told her he was defending Li and himself, saying “it was him or me.”
But today, she said Karafa told her his business with Pratt “wasn’t going as planned,” and “he decided it would be best if he killed Jordyn and Tyler before they found out and tried to kill him or someone he loved instead.”
She described it as “sort of a pre-planned self-defense.”
READ MORE: Lucy Li takes the stand in Stoney Creek murder trial
She also testified that Karafa said the victim Pratt had been violent toward him, he “punched and abused him.”
And that Pratt had told Karafa, “If you want to turn me in to the police, I have friends in the police,” and “Before I get booked within 48 hours, I’ll have some Somalians kill everyone you love.”
Li describes Pratt as dangerous and the court heard that Pratt was a drug dealer with connections to biker gangs like the Hells Angels.
Immediately after the shooting, Li and Pratt flew to Europe where they were eventually arrested on extradition warrants.
Li also testified about her time in jail in Hungary waiting for extradition back to Canada.
She said she was given “5 slices of bread and 5 cigarettes” a day in jail, but no other food.
READ MORE: Lucy Li testifies she ‘never saw a gun’ in murder trial
Li was asked by Karafa’s lawyer about an interview she gave to the Hamilton police after being brought back to Canada.
He said Li didn’t tell the police that Karafa had admitted to the killing and other points in her testimony.
The lawyer said, “You wanted some time to make up a story… It’s taken you 3 years to make up a story.”
