Drug dealer shot while daughter played in backyard, judge hears during manslaughter plea

A Calgary man who killed his drug-dealing boss pleaded guilty to manslaughter Friday.

Tarek Sharples, 47, fatally shot Jamie O'Leary, 39, on April 1, 2022.

Sharples was originally charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter after negotiations between his lawyer, Andrea Urquhart, and prosecutor Zailin Lakhoo. 

An agreed statement of facts detailing the crime was prepared by the lawyers and read aloud by Lakhoo.

Justice Robert Hall heard that at the time of the shooting, the two men were both drug dealers, with Sharples working for O'Leary.

But the relationship had soured and Sharples wanted out from under O'Leary, according to the statement of facts.

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On April 1, 2022, the two men were in conflict.

Police recovered the following text messages between the pair from the minutes leading up to the shooting:

• 1:24 p.m. — O'Leary: Come bring your drama to my kid's house and see what happens.
• 1:25 p.m. — O'Leary: Bring me my dope any of my cash and you can find your own way.
• 1:25 p.m. — Sharples: U told me to come.
• 1:26 p.m. — Sharples: You wanna do this or you just want your shit.

At 1:28 p.m., Sharples shot O'Leary. 

The shooting

The shooting took place in front of O'Leary's home, where his daughter and the child's mother lived.

At the time, the child, her mother and her grandfather were playing in the backyard. 

Security camera footage from O'Leary's neighbourhood shows Sharples pulling up to the home in his van.

O'Leary walked outside and up to van. He had a pistol in his hand at the time. 

The two men appeared to argue. 

O'Leary raised the pistol at Sharples, who then shot O'Leary while still in the driver's seat of the van.

O'Leary died on the sidewalk. Sharples was arrested the next day.

Justice Hall will hear sentencing arguments next year.