Monday, July 6, 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

Required shots in school staff last resort: Horgan

Required shots in school staff last resort: Horgan
Parent groups and the BC Teachers' Federation have called for all school districts to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the absence of a provincewide order, while the New Westminster board of education has asked for a legal opinion on making the shots mandatory.

Required shots in school staff last resort: Horgan

624 COVID19 cases for Thursday

624 COVID19 cases for Thursday
There are 5,929 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 183,406 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 373 individuals are in hospital and 132 are in intensive care. 

624 COVID19 cases for Thursday

No response from PM an 'insult': B.C. First Nation

No response from PM an 'insult': B.C. First Nation
A statement on Thursday from the First Nation in Kamloops, B.C., said the lack of a response to two letters was "an added insult," but it looks forward to welcoming Trudeau in the community later this month.

No response from PM an 'insult': B.C. First Nation

Latest COVID models show B.C. kids most at risk

Latest COVID models show B.C. kids most at risk
The report by 12 epidemiologists, mathematicians and data analysts, from the universities of Victoria and British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the private sector, covers the period up to Oct. 4.

Latest COVID models show B.C. kids most at risk

B.C. Liberals criticize NDP's fire, heat responses

B.C. Liberals criticize NDP's fire, heat responses
Fraser Nicola Liberal Jackie Tegart says Premier John Horgan's pledge to rebuild the community of Lytton following last June's wildfire that destroyed the community has failed to materialize.    

B.C. Liberals criticize NDP's fire, heat responses

Jagmeet Singh Announces NDP Leadership Roles in the House

Jagmeet Singh Announces NDP Leadership Roles in the House
Today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced his party’s House Officers and that the NDP caucus has elected veteran MP Jenny Kwan as Caucus Chair and newly-elected MP Blake Desjarlais as Deputy Caucus Chair.

Jagmeet Singh Announces NDP Leadership Roles in the House