Court to wait longer to sentence Toronto van attacker Alek Minassian
The man who deliberately killed 11 people by driving a van down a Toronto sidewalk will have his sentencing adjourned for several months.
Ontario's Superior Court of Justice says Tuesday's scheduled appearance for Alek Minassian will set a new date for the sentencing as it awaits a key Supreme Court of Canada decision in another case.
Justice Anne Molloy found Minassian guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder last year for his actions on April 23, 2018.
The court says it will wait until the Supreme Court hears an appeal in the Alexander Bissonnette case about sentencing rules on multiple murders that allow sentences to be consecutive.
The Quebec Court of Appeal overturned the 40-year period of parole ineligibility for Bissonnette, who pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder after killing six people at a Quebec City mosque in 2017.
The Crown appealed to the Supreme Court after the Appeal Court found the consecutive sentencing provision to be unconstitutional.
The court says Minassian will next appear in court on April 5.
The prosecution in the Minassian case previously told court the victims and their families also want to be able to read their victim impact statements in person, which has not been possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Minassian was found guilty of 10 first-degree murders, another victim, Amaresh Tesfamariam, died a few months ago from injuries sustained in the attack years prior.
Tesfamariam was paralyzed from the neck down and never left hospital after being hit by Minassian.
Toronto police, the coroner and Tesfamariam's family consider her death to be a homicide.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
'I didn't think it was real': Oilers fans score free Game 4 tickets from stranger
There's always something to be happy about when the Edmonton Oilers are making good strides in the playoffs, but this is especially true for two lucky fans who were able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Game 4 — for free.
Aurora borealis returning to night skies across Canada this Friday: NOAA
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Man stabbed in both legs with a machete in Times Square
A man was stabbed in both legs with a machete at New York's Times Square on Thursday afternoon, police said.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.