Lawyer for B.C. high school student's killer asks judge to consider Indigenous heritage when sentencing
The lawyer for the B.C. man guilty of fatally stabbing one girl and seriously injuring another says his client is young enough to be rehabilitated in prison.
Gabriel Klein, now in his mid-20s, walked into Abbotsford Senior Secondary on Nov. 1, 2016 and stabbed 13-year-old Letisha Reimer 14 times with a hunting knife.
Reimer died, while a second victim whose name is under a publication ban survived after being stabbed four times. Last year, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated assault in the unprovoked attack.
During the defence’s submissions at Klein’s sentencing hearing on Friday, lawyer Martin Peters argued Klein is not an immediate risk to violently re-offend.
Peters said Klein’s schizophrenia is in remission with the help of medication, but his risk of re-offending could increase if he stops treatment for his mental illnesses, or uses drugs or alcohol. He suggested Klein be eligible for parole after 12 years. Crown counsel is calling for 18 years.
Peters asked the judge to considers Klein’s Métis heritage. He claimed the man was bullied in school because of his Indigenous background, and said Klein’s grandmother was a residential school survivor. He also pointed to Klein’s deceased mother’s alcoholism as a sign of intergenerational trauma caused by the residential school system.
The judge will give Klein a chance to directly address the court, once he reads all of the victim impact statements, which amount to more than 40 pages.
Earlier this week, several of Letisha’s family members read their statements in court, including her father, who said no prison term would compare to a lifetime without his murdered daughter. Letisha’s sister, Taya, described having a hard time falling asleep since her older sister was killed at school, and feeling the need to be aware of her surroundings at all times.
A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence, but parole eligibility can vary between 10 and 25 years. Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes is expected to sentence Klein on July 7.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.