Bilijk man admits to bribing witness
Winton Labelle Walter Saulis, 36, already serving federal sentence for domestic violence
A former Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation man arranged to send $4,500 to the woman he brutalized and terrorized years ago in an attempt to dissuade from testifying against him at trial, court heard Friday.
Winton Labelle Walter Saulis, 36, of no fixed address, appeared in person and in custody in Fredericton provincial court Friday, scheduled to go to trial.
He’d previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to pervert or defeat the course of justice by bribing Chanel Sabattis between Nov. 27 and 29, 2023.
However, when the parties appeared for the scheduled trial Friday, defence lawyer Alex Pate said his client was seeking to change his plea to guilty.