A man from St. John has admitted to fatally stabbing Tammy Boratinets, a 43-year-old woman whose body was found in her backyard in the summer of 2016.
Mark Andrew Carty was arrested in July 2021 and charged with second-degree murder in Boratinets’ death.
On Monday, Carty’s lawyer, James McConnell, said his client pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Family members from both sides were absent from court on Monday. Three men from St. John’s police watched the procedure.
Karty sat motionless in the prisoner’s dock, wearing an orange sweatshirt and a blue medical mask. When Judge Catherine Gregory asked him if he understood that manslaughter came with a maximum of life imprisonment, he said, “Yes, your honor.”
When she asked how she was pleading, he said, “Guilty, your honor.”
Admitted facts
Crown prosecutor Jill Kni read a concerted statement outlining what happened in the hours before Boratinets was killed at her home in eastern St. John’s.
Karti rented a room in Boratinets’ apartment in 2016, she said. They were not in a romantic relationship and did not know each other before the Cards moved.
In the early morning hours of July 17, 2016, Karti and Boratinets were arguing.
“They were both home and drinking,” Kni said.
As a result of the dispute, Boratinets said he was expelling Karti. At 1:45 a.m., she called police to remove him. When police arrived, Boratinets said Carty was stealing her beer and cigarettes and wanted him out.
Karti denied stealing anything and told police he could stay in a friend’s apartment. Police took Cardy to the apartment, but when he was left, he headed back to the apartment on Melrose Street.
“He didn’t want to confront Mrs. Boratinets,” Knee read, but he wanted to take his bicycle and backpack with his personal belongings from his room.
He entered the bedroom through the window, just before Boratinets opened the bedroom door.
“He reacted by grabbing the cleaning knife,” Kni read.
St. John’s police sealed the area around the Melrose Street property where Boatinets was found dead. (Kashmala Fida / CBC)
Cards stabbed Boratinets five times in the chest with a knife, Knee said. Boratinets went to the backyard and collapsed where he died.
When Carty went outside and learned that the injuries were fatal, he left the scene and threw the knife into a garbage can.
A neighbor later found Boratinets’ body and called 911.
Arrested after undercover operation
The agreed statement of facts states that Karti was the main suspect in the investigation. He was arrested shortly after his death and questioned for one day. The statement said Carty had refused to make a statement and had respected his right to remain silent. The police released him.
Years later, Karti was arrested again after police went undercover, “to make illegal confessions,” the statement said.
“He testified to undercover officers, acknowledging his responsibility,” Kni read from the agreed facts.
“He made an additional statement when he was arrested … during which he reiterated his responsibility and expressed remorse for his actions.
Maps goes through pre-trial proceedings while in custody. The change in the plea comes after his lawyers filed a complaint, claiming that the police had violated Charter’s rights under the charter in the undercover investigation that led to his arrest.
This application is already controversial, as Maps confessed to the crime.
Cardi has been in custody since his arrest. His sentence is scheduled for July 4.
Judge Catherine Gregory also banned the publication of the nature of Boratinets’ employment and a photo of the crime scene.
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