Cabbie begged for his life before slaying, says witness

An Edmonton cab driver who was killed in 2005 begged his attackers to let him live and told them he had a wife and children, a sobbing witness testified Tuesday.

Kathy Fiddler is the chief witness for the prosecution in the Court of Queen's Bench trial of three people accused in the deathofHassan Yussuf, who was found dead in the trunk of his taxi in April 2005 in Edmonton's northeast.

Ronald Adrian Crane, 27,and Deidre Renne Baptiste, 23, both of Hobbema, and Karl Blair Strongman, 25,of Ponoka are charged with first-degree murder, unlawful confinement and robbery.

Fiddlertold the jury Tuesday that shewas drinking with thetrio, who were also doing drugs,in her inner-city apartment the night Yussuf died.

The grouplater caughta cab and Strongman asked the driver to stop on a side road because he was going to be sick, she said.

Crane and Baptisteattacked Yussuf, stabbing him despite his pleas to be spared, Fiddler said.Yussuf was then thrown in the trunk of his taxi, but he kicked and banged as they drove off.

FiddlersaidCrane then told the others: "Let's go finish this."

The cab stopped and after Strongman and Crane jumped out,the noise stopped, Fiddler said.