Thursday, December 18, 2025
ADVT 
National

B.C. man not at 'immediate risk' to reoffend

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Jun, 2021 01:31 PM
  • B.C. man not at 'immediate risk' to reoffend

The man who killed a 13-year-old girl and injured her friend at a high school in Abbotsford, B.C., has been asked to read the victim impact statements related to his crime before he addresses the court.

Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes told defence lawyer Martin Peters that she would like Gabriel Klein to reflect on the statements given by family members during his sentencing hearing this week.

Klein was convicted of the second-degree murder of Letisha Reimer and the aggravated assault of the other girl, whose name is under a publication ban.

The murder conviction brings an automatic life sentence, but Holmes still must determine when Klein will be eligible for parole and says she'll release her decision July 7.

Peters told the court Klein should be eligible after 12 years, while the Crown is calling for 18.

Peters told the court it's not completely accurate to label Klein a "high-risk to reoffend," because he is willing to continue treatment to control his schizophrenia and his risk only rises if his mental health issues are not properly managed.

Family members of Reimer and her friend addressed the court on Wednesday, describing their concerns that Klein will not receive a fit sentence for the damage he has caused.

MORE National ARTICLES

COVID shortened Canadian life expectancy: StatCan

COVID shortened Canadian life expectancy: StatCan
Statistics Canada says it estimates that life expectancy across the country declined by an average of 0.41 years in 2020, adding that the 15,651 deaths caused by COVID-19 contributed to that drop.

COVID shortened Canadian life expectancy: StatCan

Canadian military-goods exports dropped in 2020

Canadian military-goods exports dropped in 2020
Canada's annual report on exports of military equipment says in 2020 it sold approximately $1.966 billion in controlled military goods to international buyers compared to $3.757 billion in 2019.

Canadian military-goods exports dropped in 2020

Residential school survivor breaking silence

Residential school survivor breaking silence
The Kamloops Indian Residential School was Canada's largest such facility operated by the Roman Catholic Church between 1890 and 1969 before the federal government took it over as a day school until 1978, when it was closed.

Residential school survivor breaking silence

B.C. lays out plan for 'modernizing' forest sector

B.C. lays out plan for 'modernizing' forest sector
A new paper lays out far-ranging "policy intentions," including diversifying the ownership of forest tenures, or harvesting rights, and establishing a framework for compensation in the event those rights are lost.    

B.C. lays out plan for 'modernizing' forest sector

B.C.'s overdose deaths nearly double since 2016

B.C.'s overdose deaths nearly double since 2016
The service says 176 people died because of toxic illicit drugs in April, a 43 per cent increase from the same month last year, which means almost six British Columbians died of overdose every day.

B.C.'s overdose deaths nearly double since 2016

184 COVID19 cases for Tuesday

184 COVID19 cases for Tuesday
There are currently 2,800 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 254 individuals are currently hospitalized, 80 of whom are in ICU.

184 COVID19 cases for Tuesday