Saturday, July 4, 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

New hospital moves forward in Surrey

New hospital moves forward in Surrey
People in Surrey are a step closer to a new Surrey hospital and cancer centre with the issuing of the request for qualifications (RFQ). Through the RFQ process, Fraser Health will identify a short list of up to three qualified proponents who will be invited to participate in the next step of the competitive selection process, the request for proposal (RFP) stage.

New hospital moves forward in Surrey

No-surprise throne speech outlines Liberal agenda

No-surprise throne speech outlines Liberal agenda
A vote on the throne speech will be the first confidence test for the government, with the Liberals' survival dependent on the support of at least one opposition party.

No-surprise throne speech outlines Liberal agenda

Tories challenge mandatory vaccine rule for MPs

Tories challenge mandatory vaccine rule for MPs
Tory whip Blake Richards is asking the Commons Speaker, Anthony Rota, to rule that the the seven-member, multi-party body that governs the House does not have the authority to impose a vaccine mandate on all MPs.

Tories challenge mandatory vaccine rule for MPs

324 COVID19 cases for Tuesday

324 COVID19 cases for Tuesday
There are 3,047 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 210,478 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 345 individuals are in hospital and 115 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

324 COVID19 cases for Tuesday

COVID disrupted needed health care: survey

COVID disrupted needed health care: survey
The findings released Tuesday are based on the responses of 25,268 adults in 10 provinces — including 6,517 Indigenous individuals — to a survey last spring about the pandemic's impacts on health care.

COVID disrupted needed health care: survey

B.C. set to roll out child vaccines next week

B.C. set to roll out child vaccines next week
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says up to 350,000 children will be eligible for the vaccine and more than 90,000 kids are already registered.

B.C. set to roll out child vaccines next week