Friday, December 26, 2025
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

Follow public health guidance on COVID: Horgan

Follow public health guidance on COVID: Horgan
Weekly information released by the BC Centre for Disease Control shows the number of hospitalizations has increased to 485 from 364 last week, while 38 people were in critical care.    

Follow public health guidance on COVID: Horgan

VPD arrests one following protest on Iron Workers Bridge

VPD arrests one following protest on Iron Workers Bridge
One person was arrested following a brief protest on the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge this morning. A 24-year-old woman was taken to jail on charges of mischief and intimidated on a roadway.

VPD arrests one following protest on Iron Workers Bridge

B.C. arson may have been hate: Ukraine congress

B.C. arson may have been hate: Ukraine congress
Victoria police have said five people were in the home early Wednesday when the fire broke out and all made it out alive, although one of the children was injured and a woman needed to be rescued from a window ledge by fire crews.

B.C. arson may have been hate: Ukraine congress

Abbotsford Police investigate 2 robberies at a gas station

Abbotsford Police investigate 2 robberies at a gas station
On April 17th, at 6:04 pm, AbbyPD responded to a second robbery at a gas station located in the 33800 block of Essendene Ave. A lone male suspect described as being 6ft tall, with a medium build, blonde hair, and wearing dark clothing, entered the store with his face covered, displayed a firearm, and obtained money before departing the area on foot.

Abbotsford Police investigate 2 robberies at a gas station

Countrywide action on handguns needed, groups say

Countrywide action on handguns needed, groups say
In a new letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, several high-profile groups call instead for countrywide measures to phase out the private ownership of handguns.

Countrywide action on handguns needed, groups say

Canada needs robust COVID-19 system: experts

Canada needs robust COVID-19 system: experts
Dr. Caroline Colijn, a mathematician and epidemiologist at Simon Fraser University, said there are currently "too many infections" in Canada to expand access to PCR tests to everyone to find out the true number of infections.

Canada needs robust COVID-19 system: experts