torontosun, April 15, 2011
An Ethiopian immigrant who fired four bullets into his common-law wife’s head was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder.
Amin Kassim glared menacingly at Crown attorney Beverley Richards as the jury returned its verdict after two days of deliberations, ending a bizarre trial in which the 36-year-old represented himself and was a nuisance in court.
Hestopped his angry stare once Det. Sgt. Dan Sheppard turned to look at the newly-convicted murderer of the unarmed Muluka Ali.
Kassim was automatically sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
He confessed he shot Ali, 23, in May 2005 because he said he believed Ali was having a lesbian relationship with neighbour and friend Sarah Finlayson, which she denied at trial.
Kassim beat his estranged spouse, then placed her in the living room of her Church St. apartment where he shot her with a revolver.
He had just finished an 18-month conditional sentence for a violent offence the day prior to the killing.
When he confessed, Kassim said he feared getting into legal trouble, for excessively assaulting her.
Kassim took two photos of his wife’s bloody body and then dashed off with their son Sammy, triggering a nation-wide manhunt. The two-year-old boy was found unharmed.
The large, menacing Kassim complained bitterly about irrelevant or minor issues and often behaved “like an unruly spoiled child,” said Justice Robert Clark. Kassim hired and fired several lawyers, stalling proceedings.
The judge appointed defence lawyer Richard Litkowski to act as a “friend of the court” to ensure that the accused’s legal rights were being safeguarded.
He ordered Kassim to be removed from the courtroom one day but relented the next day after the accused promised to behave himself in front of the jury.
Clark tried to protect Kassim’s fair trial rights while Kassim brought up damaging evidence during his own questioning of witnesses.
Kassim mentioned he propositioned Finlayson, saying he wanted to “tap her ass.”
Finlayson said the proposal “made me vomit” and said she thought Kassim “was a monster and disgusting to even ask something like that.” More reading on Toronto SUN
An Ethiopian immigrant who fired four bullets into his common-law wife’s head was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder.
Amin Kassim glared menacingly at Crown attorney Beverley Richards as the jury returned its verdict after two days of deliberations, ending a bizarre trial in which the 36-year-old represented himself and was a nuisance in court.
Hestopped his angry stare once Det. Sgt. Dan Sheppard turned to look at the newly-convicted murderer of the unarmed Muluka Ali.
Kassim was automatically sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
He confessed he shot Ali, 23, in May 2005 because he said he believed Ali was having a lesbian relationship with neighbour and friend Sarah Finlayson, which she denied at trial.
Kassim beat his estranged spouse, then placed her in the living room of her Church St. apartment where he shot her with a revolver.
He had just finished an 18-month conditional sentence for a violent offence the day prior to the killing.
When he confessed, Kassim said he feared getting into legal trouble, for excessively assaulting her.
Kassim took two photos of his wife’s bloody body and then dashed off with their son Sammy, triggering a nation-wide manhunt. The two-year-old boy was found unharmed.
The large, menacing Kassim complained bitterly about irrelevant or minor issues and often behaved “like an unruly spoiled child,” said Justice Robert Clark. Kassim hired and fired several lawyers, stalling proceedings.
The judge appointed defence lawyer Richard Litkowski to act as a “friend of the court” to ensure that the accused’s legal rights were being safeguarded.
He ordered Kassim to be removed from the courtroom one day but relented the next day after the accused promised to behave himself in front of the jury.
Kassim mentioned he propositioned Finlayson, saying he wanted to “tap her ass.”
Finlayson said the proposal “made me vomit” and said she thought Kassim “was a monster and disgusting to even ask something like that.” More reading on Toronto SUN
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