Thursday, July 2, 2026
ADVT 
National

Crown begins closing in B.C. extortion trial

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 26 Jul, 2022 12:25 PM
  • Crown begins closing in B.C. extortion trial

Crown and defence counsel have finished calling evidence in the British Columbia Supreme Court trial for the Dutch man accused of harassing and extorting teenager Amanda Todd before she died a decade ago.

Aydin Coban pleaded not guilty at the jury trial in New Westminster to charges of extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and possessing child pornography.

Crown attorney Kristen LeNoble began closing arguments by telling jurors she would spend the next few days helping them "unpack" the evidence, including testimony from more than 30witnesses and binders full of 80 exhibits.

By the time the Crown is finished, LeNoble says they will have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Coban was the person behind 22 separate online aliases used to harass and extort Todd with child pornography that depicted her.

LeNoble says Todd's harassment began just before her 13th birthday when she received a message that threatened to send a video of her to friends, family and local media.

Crown prosecutor Louise Kenworthy told the jury at the start of the trial last month that the teenager from Port Coquitlam, B.C., had been the victim of a persistent campaign of online "sextortion" over three years before her death in October 2012.

Carol Todd testified that her daughter was scared when she brought messages to her mother's attention, and Amanda's distress increased with each incident.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2022.

MORE National ARTICLES

Network breach at GG secretary's office

Network breach at GG secretary's office
The Office of the Secretary to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon confirms says its internal network was breached through unauthorized access. In a statement Thursday, the office said it is working with experts and "pursuing further network improvements" as needed and that the nature and scope of the breach is still being investigated.

Network breach at GG secretary's office

Police arrest man armed with knife, axe

Police arrest man armed with knife, axe
A North Vancouver man is in police custody after RCMP responded to a call Wednesday afternoon about a suspect carrying a large knife and an axe. Police say at around noon, a member of public alerted an officer on patrol about an armed man in the Canyon Heights area.

Police arrest man armed with knife, axe

B.C. deals with flood warnings, evacuations

B.C. deals with flood warnings, evacuations
Several rivers in British Columbia were under flood warnings on Wednesday as hundreds of homes remained evacuated because of heavy rainfall. There were 12 evacuation orders involving 350 homes in the Fraser Valley Regional District in its coverage area from Boston Bar to Abbotsford.

B.C. deals with flood warnings, evacuations

Open more overdose prevention sites: study

Open more overdose prevention sites: study
In B.C., the highest rates of fatal overdose are in the urban Vancouver health region, at 44.6 per 100,000 people, and the remote northern region, where the rate is 42.8 per 100,000.

Open more overdose prevention sites: study

Vancouver home sales up 12% in Nov.: board

Vancouver home sales up 12% in Nov.: board
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says November home sales increased by almost 12 per cent from last year as demand continued to outpace supply. The B.C. board says sales for the month amounted to 3,428, up from 3,064 last November but down from 3,494 in October 2021.

Vancouver home sales up 12% in Nov.: board

Downtown Eastside police officers seized $20K in stolen bikes from a rooftop stash spot all thanks to social media

Downtown Eastside police officers seized $20K in stolen bikes from a rooftop stash spot all thanks to social media
Rumours of the bike stash began circulating last week, after social media posts suggested someone was using a Gastown rooftop to store the stolen bikes. Officers began investigating, and quickly determined that the bikes were being lowered to the rooftop by rope from a neighbouring building. After getting several tips, they pinpointed the stash spot and moved in to seize nine bikes on November 22.    

Downtown Eastside police officers seized $20K in stolen bikes from a rooftop stash spot all thanks to social media