A judge has ruled that a 16-year-old boy charged with beating a young man to death with a baseball bat in New Westminster should not be granted bail.
Friends and family of the victim, 19-year-old Karim Meskine, were in B.C. Provincial Court Friday afternoon when the judge made decision.
Meskine’s mother Julie said she was relieved with the judge’s decision.
“For today…I’m going to try to enjoy this moment with my family because we need that. We have a long way to go, but we certainly [are] happy with the decision today to keep him incarcerated,” she told a throng of reporters outside the courthouse.
Meskine was brutally beaten in an unprovoked attack near the 22nd Street Skytrain Station in New Westminster in December.
Officials described the attack as an attempted robbery.
It left Meskine in a coma and he was taken off life support several days later.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be identified because of a publication ban, is charged with Meskine’s second-degree murder.
His next court appearance will be Jan. 29 in New Westminster.
