Warning: This article contains images and descriptions that may be disturbing and triggering. A Penetanguishene woman has admitted to helping three men escape after a deadly 2023 parking lot shooting. Danika Lawrie spent her 33rd birthday in the prisoner’s box of a Barrie courtroom Thursday where she pleaded guilty to being an accessory after-the-fact to murder in the shooting of Jesse Deschamps in Penetanguishene. Homicide investigation underway after shooting at Penetanguishene mall As part of an Agreed Statement of Facts, read to the court by Crown Attorney Katherine Spensieri, Lawrie admitted she knew of a longstanding feud between local drug dealers and Deschamps, and helped lure him to the parking lot where he was shot inside his van. Lawrie admitted she had previously overheard a plan being formulated by her drug dealers, to lure, confront and beat Deschamps up. Days later, Lawrie admitted, while in search of drugs, she contacted her dealer who told her he did not have any drugs and told her to go to Deschamps instead. Lawrie was then directed by the drug dealer to pick up another man on the way to meeting Deschamps. Lawrie picked up a total of three men on the afternoon of July 27, 2023, in her black Ford F-150 pick-up truck and agreed to meet Deschamps to get drugs, knowing the three men were going to confront Deschamps. Lawrie insists she had no knowledge any weapons were going to be involved in the confrontation. While Lawrie was buying cocaine from Deschamps, the Crown said, one of her passengers got out of the pickup truck and shot Deschamps in the head. Lawrie said she fled the scene with the three men inside the truck and drove to a home in Tiny Township. She said she left the home on foot moments later. The following day the F-150 was found torched along train tracks near Horseshoe Valley Road and Warminster sideroad. Lawrie said she did not play a role in the burning of the truck. First-degree murder charges laid in 2023 shooting in Penetanguishene, Ont. Southern Georgian Bay OPP later released a sketch of a person believed to be in the F-150 driven by Lawrie when Deschamps was killed. Lawrie was arrested in Aug. 2023 and initially charged with first-degree murder. Police have not been able to identify, arrest or charge anyone else in the case. Her lawyer Martin Montes told Justice Lynne Saunders that Lawrie was close with Deschamps and is remorseful for her actions. The defence said Lawrie’s decision-making and judgement was severely impact by her drug addiction at the time. Deschamps’ loved ones described him as a devoted partner and father of four. His stepdaughter called Deschamps her protector, role model, biggest supporter, and the best dad she could have asked for. His partner told the court Deschamps was the heart of their home, and his death has meant the loss of her family’s foundation. He was 30 years old. The Crown and defence have proposed a joint submission of about 22 more months behind bars after crediting Lawrie with about a year-and-a-half in pre-sentence custody while under harsh conditions in jail. Justice Saunders is scheduled to deliver her sentencing decision later this month.
