Calgary man admits murdering roommate over $450 drug debt

A Calgary man has admitted to fatally beating and strangling his roommate over a $450 drug debt.

Originally charged with first-degree murder, Allen McCabe, 34, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the death of Mahmoud Aburashed, 58.

The victim and McCabe lived together at a home in northeast Calgary. Aburashed was a drug dealer.

McCabe had moved in two weeks before the fatal confrontation on Dec. 13, 2019. 

Crowbar attack

On that day, the pair got into an argument over a $450 drug debt Aburashed believed was owed to him by McCabe. 

Aburashed demanded McCabe move out immediately.

Ultimately, McCabe told police Aburashed attacked him first with a crowbar.

Then, he said, he managed to get the weapon from Aburashed and chased him into a bedroom.

The medical examiner found Aburashed suffered blunt force injuries from the crowbar and had also been strangled. 

26 layers of duct tape

Two days after the killing, a former roommate showed up at Aburashed's home to gather some of his belongings. 

Inside, he found Aburashed dead on the floor. His wrists had been bound with 26 layers of duct tape, which was also around his ankles. 

McCabe went to his mother's house after the fatal confrontation, before travelling to B.C. for two weeks. 

During that time, he confessed to his ex-wife and friends that he'd been "involved in a homicide," according to the agreed statement of facts.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice David Gates will hear sentencing submissions from prosecutor Doug Taylor and defence lawyer Jeinis Patel in January.

A second-degree murder conviction comes with a life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 to 25 years.