In a Toronto courtroom Thursday, people in the gallery could hear a secret recorded audio message which was played at a murder trial of a Toronto man killed in 2023.

The undercover officer who testified — known as TJ, in order to protect the officer’s identity — can be heard discussing how she became involved in the investigation of Brianna Warner, the accused person of interest in the killing of Jai Parker-Ford.

Parker-Ford was fatally shot outside his 14th floor apartment on Lawrence Avenue East near Orton Park Road on Dec. 16, 2022, around 4:30 a.m. and died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Only those involved in the proceedings, including lawyers, the judge, the jury and court staff, could see the undercover officer because a large screen divided the courtroom in half.

TJ took to the stands to explain her undercover operations on Feb. 20, 2023 when she got a call from Toronto police. She was asked to do a “deployment” and meet with Warner. 

“I was to build rapport. To basically try to get some social media and some contact information. I could get to know her and she could get to know me well,” TJ testified.

She said Warner only knew her by her alias TJ, which she told the 18-year-old stood for Taniesha Jean.

In that time, she learned Warner sold things online and they talked about boys, nails, hair and general girl chit chat.

TJ said she learned Toronto police got authorization from a judge for her to use a secret recording device— also known as a wire — so she could record conversations with Warner.

TJ said she next met with Warner on April 3, 2023 and then April 6, 2023. Both times she was wearing a wire.

On April 6th, TJ said she was driving Warner and her mother, back to the family’s Scarborough home and testified that Warner and her mother got into an argument.

An audio recording of the argument was played in court.

In the audio recording, Warner can be heard telling her mother to shut up before saying, “Remember when you asked me who shot that guy in the head? I did that. I have anger issues, so leave me the f- alone.”

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TJ told assistant Crown attorney Rob Fried the voices on the recording are Warner and her mother.

TJ also said to Fried that she and Warner were developing a friendship and at no point did she think that Warner knew about her status as a police officer.

On April 7th, again while wearing a wire, TJ spoke about what she said her mother in the car.

The audio recording was again played in court.

In this recording, TJ can be heard speaking to Warner, and asking her about the argument in the car.

“Do you know what I’m going to ask about? What was that about?” TJ can be heard saying.

Warner can be heard saying her mother was talking to her like an “idiot” before she explains what she meant in the car.

“I’ll show you what I’m talk about. He didn’t die right away. He was brain dead. When I shot him, it was so cool. When I shot him, it went right through. I seen the hole. I ran away,” TJ can be heard saying.

Warner tells TJ she was still in the area when police got there and ran by houses, running all the way home.

TJ is heard swearing and asks if it happened nearby. “No, no, Orton Park,” Warner replied.

“Basically, he was very unresponsive. His eyes were wide open. He was just bleeding out. He looked dead so I’m like he must be dead and they’re like he’s in stable condition. He’s on life support. He’s alive and he’s breathing but he’s dead,” Warner told TJ, laughing.

“He died on the 18th. I did it on the 16th,” Warner can be heard telling TJ. When TJ asks who the guy, she can be heard telling TJ they had sex when she was 12.

“So I had the chance. Why not get it done?” Warner told TJ before saying the name, “Jai Parker-Ford.”

TJ responds, “Jai Parker?” before Warner agrees “yeah.”

Warner told TJ her mother saw her leaving the night of the shooting and later asked her about it.

“It was funny because she asked me, I left that night, she seen me leaving that night and then she asked me in the morning, ‘Do you know who did that?’ I’m like ‘I don’t know’,” Warner explained to TJ, laughing.

Warner then shows TJ articles and videos about the shootings from the news on her phone and tells her it happened on Dec. 16th. TJ asked her where she got the gun. Warner replies, “her ex.” She also said she did it alone.

Warner also tells TJ in the recording that she wrote a rap about the shooting which she called “Brain Dead.” “You’re going to have to show me. Can you perform it for me?” TJ is heard asking.

The undercover officer can then be heard reading out the lyrics. “A pretty sight but I’ll drain the blood straight outta you,” TJ says, reading from the lyrics. “Your friend is dead … Moving like y’all the one unresponsible and brain dead,” she continues.

The rap sheet containing the lyrics was shown at the trial Thursday.

The audio recording involving the conversation between TJ and Warner has been sealed to protect the undercover officer’s identify.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Katie Scott asked TJ about her experience as an undercover officer. “There were three undercovers available for this project, and you were the least experienced of the three?” Scott queried. TJ agreed.

Scott then asked her about some of the objectives she was tasked with but didn’t find out. “One of the objectives was to find out what floor the shooting was on?”

“No, I didn’t find that out,” TJ replied.

Scott also pointed out TJ failed to ascertain how Warner left the building or what route she took home.

Scott said that all TJ learned was that Warner went from house to house, pointing out that Warner’s home was up to 600 houses away and included walking through a large ravine.

“You didn’t find out where the gloves or the gun went?” said Scott. “You didn’t ask what Jai Parker-Ford was wearing? You didn’t find out what type of gun was used?”

“No, I did not,” TJ replied.

“Those are all of my questions,” Scott said.

Warner has pleaded not guilty. The trial continues.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says the killing of Savannah Kulla, a 29-year-old mother who was shot dead in a Brampton parking lot this week, is proof Canada’s bail system is “failing” victims.

In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Brown, alongside Peel Regional Police Supt. David Kennedy, said the accused, Anthony DeShepper, who shot and killed Kulla should never have been out on bail given his violent history.

Police say Kulla was shot Tuesday afternoon after meeting DeShepper, her former partner, to let him spend time with their 17-month-old daughter.

DeShepper fled the scene with the child, prompting an Amber Alert across Ontario. Hours later, police found him in Niagara Falls, where he was shot and killed during an interaction with officers.

Now their daughter, along with Kulla’s three sons, are motherless.

“Our system has failed Savannah Kulla,” said Brown, who is renewing calls for urgent bail reform after the tragedy.

“This tragedy was predictable and preventable.”

While police and SIU continue to investigate the tragedy, the spotlight has now fallen on Desheppers’ violent past and has raised questions on his bail release.

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Kennedy confirmed that DeShepper had an “extensive criminal past” that included robbery, assault and weapons offences, and that he was bound by several court orders not to contact Kulla or possess firearms.

“Clearly, his release posed a significant risk to Savannah and others in our community,” Kennedy said.

Brown compared the case to the 2020 killing of Darion Henderson-Bellman, another Brampton woman shot by a partner who was out on bail for weapons offences.

“We said never again,” Brown said. “Now I hope that this legislation is passed swiftly, because this legislation needs to have been passed not just today but frankly yesterday,” Brown said.

The Brampton tragedy came the same week Ottawa announced a new package of bail and sentencing reforms aimed at keeping repeat violent offenders behind bars.

Public Safety Minister Sean Fraser said the proposed changes would make it harder for those accused of serious crimes to be released before trial, including charges on firearms offences and intimate-partner violence.

The legislation would introduce reverse-onus bail in some cases, meaning accused individuals would have to prove why they should be released. It would also allow for consecutive sentences for repeat offenders and add 1,000 new RCMP officers to help enforce the changes.

Brown said Brampton was one of the first cities to petition for stricter bail rules, including reverse-onus for repeat violent offenders and zero tolerance for breaches of weapons prohibitions.

“There is no reason that person should not have been in custody,” Brown said. “We owe that to Savannah Kulla,” he added.

The victim’s mother, Karen Kulla, told Global News in an interview that her daughter feared DeShepper might kill her.

She said to me a month ago, ‘If I stay with him, he’s going to end up killing me,’” she said through tears.

Peel police have declared gender-based violence an epidemic, and Brown said new laws are only part of the solution.

“By updating the Criminal Code we are making progress,” Brown said.

“But at the same time, there are major gaps there as well. Without proper funding and local implementation, high-risk offenders may slip through the cracks, and families like Savannah Cula’s will continue to pay the price.”

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Nova Scotia intends to learn more about small modular reactor (SMR) technology from Ontario.

Premier Tim Houston, who became energy minister this week in a cabinet shuffle, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Thursday with Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce.

“We will share knowledge and expertise from technological readiness and regulatory frameworks to supply chains, financing, and nuclear waste management. We’ll work together to engage with the federal government,” said Houston.

New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta have signed similar agreements with Ontario.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission says small modular reactors are smaller in size and have a smaller energy output than traditional nuclear power reactors.

The commission also says the smaller reactors have enhanced safety features.

Ontario’s Darlington nuclear plant was named as a project of national interest by the prime minister this fall.

Expansion of the current Darlington nuclear plant in southern Ontario will make Canada the first G7 country with an operational SMR.

It’s estimated Ontario’s project, which is set to be connected to the grid by 2029, would provide clean power to 300,000 homes and create 200 operations jobs, in addition to 1,600 jobs during construction.

Shortly before the agreement signing, the federal and Ontario governments announced they would be putting a total of $3 billion toward a project to build four small nuclear reactors in the Greater Toronto Area.

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“This is about value added to our Ontario ratepayers and taxpayers. However, we’re Canadians and we’re on Team Canada. Premier Houston and Premier Ford have a strong alliance when it comes to building out that clean energy vision,” said Lecce.

“Going first allows us to share the best practices, the lessons learned with our colleagues east and west.”

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Nova Scotia’s opposition concerned after premier shuffles cabinet, makes himself energy minister

Despite signing the MOU, Houston says the technology won’t be coming to Nova Scotia soon.

“At this stage we don’t have a contract to buy one. We haven’t committed any dollars towards it right now. We need to be part of the process, so we understand what’s possible,” he said.

But the Official Opposition questions what the actual benefit would be for Nova Scotians to bring the technology to the province.

“It’s not going to help us with our energy mix. It’s not going to help us with our energy affordability, and we don’t see any jobs coming,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender.

“I think it was yet another shiny announcement when what we’re actually looking for our results.”

Environmental concerns

Environmental groups are voicing their concerns with the MOU and the province’s intentions when it comes to pursuing the technology.

“I don’t see it as a practical solution. I see it as … an industrial greed response,” said Badia Nehme with the Ecology Action Centre.

The non-profit group’s stance is that nuclear energy is unlikely to benefit Nova Scotians.

“The province seems more interested in exporting energy solutions as opposed to powering the province,” said Nehme.

“So when they were talking about green hydrogen, it was never actually going to be used here. Even way back when they looked at fracking, that was for sale to the United States.”

There are also concerns because the environmental impact of these reactors are still unclear.

“These projects require fuel bundles that are irradiated and then they have to be buried because that’s the only solution they have right now is burying it in a community for 500 if not over 1,000 years,” said Nehme.

“Especially with experimental technology, we need make sure things are safe and that they prioritize communities, people and the environment.”

SMRs are being presented as clean energy alternatives capable of replacing fossil fuel and coal plants, while eliminating rural communities’ reliance on diesel generators.

But some point out that SMRs may be unrealistic for a province like Nova Scotia, which is much denser population-wise.

“I wouldn’t want an SMR in my backyard. But I wouldn’t mind having solar panels on my roof or, you know, a wind power project near a rural property that I lived at,” said Keith Brooks, the programs director with Environmental Defence Canada.

–with a file from The Canadian Press 

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