'Savage and cruel': Ontario man who killed partner and two children sentenced to life in prison

A man who viciously attacked and killed a mother and two of her children east of Toronto has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

A judge called Cory Fenn's actions "horrific" as he delivered the sentence in an Oshawa, Ont., court on Tuesday.

Fenn was found guilty of three counts of second-degree murder in the 2018 deaths of his on-again, off-again girlfriend Krassimira Pejcinovski and her children Roy, 14, and Venellia, 13, in Ajax, Ont.

"Mr Fenn's actions destroyed the family and caused considerable harm to the community," Justice Howard Leibowich said in court.

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory lifetime sentence with a minimum 10 years before parole eligibility.

The judge imposed the parole ineligibility periods for the murders of Pejcinovski and Roy to be served concurrently.

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He reserved judgment on the sentence for the murder of Venellia until the Supreme Court of Canada decides on the constitutionality of imposing periods of parole ineligibility for multiple murders.

Leibowich said the murder of Venellia, who goes by Vana, was a separate and distinct act that occurred five hours after the murders of her mother and brother.

"Mr. Fenn killed Vana in a desperate and futile attempt to escape detection," Leibowich said.

"In my view, having regard to the nature and circumstances of the offences and the character of Mr. Fenn, a consecutive parole ineligibility period must be imposed for the savage and cruel murder of Vana."

The Crown had sought a sentence of 72 years before Fenn could apply for parole, while Fenn noted 10 years would be "perfect."

Fenn lived in the basement of Pejcinovski's home and the two had an on-again, off-again relationship the judge described as "toxic."

On March 14, 2018, Fenn and Pejcinovski hung out in his apartment and court heard they were snorting cocaine that night.

Pejcinovski later left the home and Fenn found her in the garage, beat her and tried to strangle her, court heard. When that didn't work, Fenn went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and returned to "finish the job," the judge said.

Fenn went on in a rage to attack Roy, who was asleep in his mother's bed after a night playing video games. Fenn, a large man who had been on steroids, beat and then strangled the boy, court heard.

Fenn attacked Venellia five hours later when the girl went to check on her mother. He beat the teen then stabbed her repeatedly with a butter knife, court heard.

Pejcinovski's boss worried about her and came to the home. Sherry Robinson testified she noticed blood on Fenn's arm when he answered the door. She demanded to see Pejcinovski, but Fenn said she was asleep. Robinson left and called police.

Fenn bolted before police arrived, but officers eventually tracked him down in a shed at another ex's place, court heard.

Fenn told police after his arrest that he was in a state of cocaine psychosis at the time after a five-day coke binge. The judge didn't buy the explanation.

Leibowich also did not accept the Crown's proposed motive that Fenn killed Pejcinovski after a breakup.

Rather, the judge said Fenn's own words were likely the closest court will hear about a motive - he was fed up with Pejcinovski's constant badgering about being with another woman and he "had enough of that."

Fenn fired his lawyer before trial and did not call a defence, although a court-appointed lawyer made closing submissions for him.

On Tuesday, the judge said he will wait until the Supreme Court issues a decision on the constitutionality of serving periods of parole ineligibility consecutively rather than concurrently. Leibowich said he'd impose a consecutive sentence for Venellia's murder if the law is upheld.

The Supreme Court heard arguments last month on the constitutionality of the law that was brought in by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government in 2011.

The Court of Appeal of Quebec found the law unconstitutional after a lower court imposed a life sentence without parole eligibility for 40 years for Alexandre Bissonnette, who killed six in a shooting rampage at a mosque in Quebec City in 2017. The Crown appealed that case to the Supreme Court.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2022.