SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Emrah Bulatci attempted to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in the death of RCMP Const. Christopher Worden as Bulatci's first degree murder trial opened today.

Emrah Bulatci attempted to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in the death of RCMP Const. Christopher Worden as Bulatci's first degree murder trial opened today.

After the charge was read in front of the jury in Supreme Court, the accused pleaded not guilty to first degree murder, but quickly added in a quiet voice: "I'd like to plead guilty to manslaughter."

Crown lawyers John Cliffe and John McFarlane immediately rejected the plea, however, and the trial proceeded on the first degree murder charge.

Now that Bulatci has admitted responsibility for Worden's death, the trial and verdict now hinge on whether or not he intended to kill the RCMP officer when he fired his weapon, said Justice John Vertes.

Worden was shot four times and killed on duty while responding to a call in Hay River on Oct. 6, 2007.

During her opening arguments, defence lawyer Laura Stevens said Bulatci, who is from Edmonton, "is not innocent."

She added that Bulatci, who was a drug dealer in Hay River at the time, is not of good character. But, she said, it is not for the jury to judge his character, but rather to judge whether he intended to cause Worden's death.

"At the end of the trial you will be asked to find him (Bulatci) not guilty of first degree murder, but guilty of manslaughter, (which) is very serious offence but not the one for which he is on trial," said Stevens.

"His (Worden's) death is absolutely wrong, it is tragic. It is acknowledged whose fault that is. It is Emrah Bulatci's fault that Christopher Worden is dead," she added.