HUNTER: Murder victim’s alleged last words: ‘Oliver, what the f–k?’

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HAMILTON — The gunman was shaking and bug-eyed as he pointed the pistol at a terrified Jordyn Romano, court heard.

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She testified in Hamilton Superior Court on Friday, that he then pulled the trigger.

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Romano, 29, told Assistant Crown Attorney Steven Kim that the man holding the pistol was Oliver Karafa.

Friday marked Romano’s second day on the stand.

Karafa, 29, and his girlfriend, one-time “influencer” Yun Lu “Lucy” Li, are now on trial for first-degree murder and attempted murder in the Feb. 28, 2021, slaying of Romano’s fiancee Tyler Pratt, 39, and critical wounding of Romano in a Stoney Creek industrial park.

Both have pleaded not guilty.

The two couples had become fast friends and Pratt, a former B.C. cocaine dealer was looking for a more legit way of life for himself, Romano and their unborn baby boy.

But what emerged instead was an alleged plot to scam Pratt out of his drug profits.

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Romano painted a picture of an hourglass rapidly emptying and two people oblivious to the danger lurking nearby.

Romano said Karafa and Li planned to pay them on March 1, 2021, for fronting cash for a PPE scheme.

According to Romano, there was a breakfast meeting at Pratt and Romano’s Yorkville condo on Feb. 24. Pratt was flying to Vancouver later that day for his daughter’s birthday.

Romano said that the couples agreed to meet for a marijuana venture at an industrial site on Arvin Ave. in Stoney Creek.

“Lucy said, ‘oh, my mom has this warehouse, she doesn’t even use it’. Oliver said, ‘yeah, we could use it,” Romano recalled, adding that Karafa allegedly boasted he had 12 licenses to grow weed in Ontario.

The previous night, Romano says Li and Karafa had brought a bottle of booze to celebrate their friends’ new condo.

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“After I got shot, the bottle was still there and so were their glasses. I told my dad to throw it out,” Romano said, dabbing away tears.

Romano said during the visit that Li and herself talked about her baby shower plans. Karafa and Pratt discussed the weed business, she said, adding that her fiancee wanted to bring his daughter and baby mama to Ontario along with his father and brother to work for him.

After his little girl’s birthday, Pratt was flying home early Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in time for the meeting with Li and Karafa in Stoney Creek, Romano testified.

Romano testified that she picked up Pratt at Pearson International Airport around 3:30 p.m. Romano says they were slated to meet Karafa and Li at 5 p.m.

According to her testimony, Li and Karafa were going to be 45 minutes late, so they had pizza with Romano’s brother while they waited., so they had pizza with Romano’s brother while they waited.

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Pratt and Romano were given instructions to pull into the back of 347 Arvin Ave. in a gloomy industrial neighbourhood of Stoney Creek, Romano testified. Romano says when they arrived, Li’s mother’s realtor wasn’t there and Pratt wasn’t happy.

Romano says the quartet then tried to get into the building but it was locked. Romano was cold and climbed back into the pair’s Range Rover.

Soon, Lucy Li joined her in the vehicle sitting in the driver’s seat, according to Romano’s testimony.

“She was sitting there on her phone,” Romano said. “She said, ‘Oh my God, you’re dressed so pretty and I’m dressed like a bum’.”

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Li allegedly claimed she had made dinner reservations for the four at posh Soto Soto in Oakville. Neither Li nor Karafa were dressed for dinner at a nice joint, Romano said.

“(But) when she came into the car she can’t even look at me,” Romano said. “Then she got out of the car. My car was now off so I slid over in the driver’s seat and turned it back on.”

Suddenly, Oliver Karafa was allegedly glaring at her through the passenger’s side window and pointing a gun in her direction.

“I couldn’t move, I couldn’t talk. My mouth was wide open. He’s pointing a gun at me, he was shaking and his eyes were bulging and then he said, ‘get out of here Jo’ …”

One of the last things Romano says she remembers was hearing gunshots.

“BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!,” she recalled.

Pratt was at the rear driver’s side of the Range Rover, according to Romano.

“His last words were, ‘Oliver, what the f–k bro?’”

The trial continues Monday.

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On X: @HunterTOSun

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