Messy kitchen sparked fight between roommates which left Jamie Vickers dead
From Canada comes the news of a Newfoundland and Labrador man who were convicted of manslaughter by an Edmonton jury on Thursday for strangling his roommate in a drunken fight over a messy kitchen.
Bill Tubrett, age 48, had been charged with second-degree murder for the Dec. 29, 2011, slaying of his roommate Jamie Vickers, age 35, at an Edmonton home, but the jury arrived at a guilty verdict on the lesser charge.
The jury deliberated for 10 hours before announcing that the jurors “didn’t think it was self-defense.” The sentencing hearing is set for March 22.
Vickers confronted the man, got angry and tossed the roast, gravy and dinner all over the kitchen, the windows, walls and counter. Vickers began punching holes in the walls. Tubrett attempted to put the angry drunk man in a headlock, adding he “was trying to protect himself” and felt he was “hanging on for dear life.”
A third roommate, Paul Gill, has testified he saw Vickers angrily go to the basement to confront Tubrett about the gravy mess and then went down himself and saw Vickers “on his knees and Bill with his hands on his neck.”
Gill told court he told Tubrett to let Vickers go and said that Tubrett released Vickers after having held him in a headlock for several minutes and Vickers slid to the floor.
Gill, 46, said he saw Tubrett punch Vickers in the face and kick him in the back. Tubrett said it was Gill who had jumped on Vickers and kicked him.
Gill and Tubrett then drove to Fort McMurray, Alta., in Vickers’ truck.
Gill was arrested two days later and charged with murder. He later pleaded guilty to stealing the truck and the murder charge was withdrawn.