Lawyer for B.C. high school student's killer asks judge to consider Indigenous heritage when sentencing

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. -

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.