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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.