The teenager accused of brutally beating Karim Meskine to death in New Westminster has been found guilty.
The youth, who can’t be named because of his age, was convicted of second-degree murder in provincial court Thursday morning, two-and-a-half years after the shocking attack.
Meskine’s mother, Julie L’Heureux, said she wanted to jump out of her seat when the judge handed down the verdict, but that nothing can alleviate her grief.
“My grieving process is not going to be done until I meet my son again one day,” L’Heureux told reporters outside court.
L’Heureux said the tragedy destroyed her family, and affected her so deeply she remains in a constant struggle to repress her pain.
“I’m like a block of ice and I cannot melt,” she said. “Am I going to make it without having a heart attack? I don’t know. Only God knows.”
Her son was just 18 when he was bludgeoned with a baseball bat in an unprovoked attack near the 22nd Street SkyTrain Station in December 2013.
A passerby found Meskine unconscious and called 911, and the young man spent the next few days, including his 19th birthday, comatose in a hospital bed.
He was eventually taken off life support surrounded by his heartbroken family and friends.
Meskine’s killer, who was 16 at the time of the attack, was initially charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon, but the charges were later upgraded.
Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the teenager’s conviction shows murderers will be held accountable regardless of their age.
Crown prosecutors also intend to seek an adult sentence for Meskine's killer. Defence lawyer Matthew Nathanson said he’ll be fighting for his client to be sentenced as a youth.
“We are going to be vigorously opposing that,” Nathanson said.
A sentencing date has yet to be set.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Nafeesa Karim
