The Calgary youth who fatally shot another teen in the back of the head execution style began serving his jail term Monday.
But the now 19-year-old won’t learn until Wednesday how long that period of custody will be.
Justice Paul Jeffrey heard sentencing submissions from Crown and defence lawyers for the suitable sentence for the murderer of Jal Acor Jal.
Both prosecutor Tahira Amin and defence counsel Andrea Urquhart agreed the maximum youth sentence was warranted for Jal’s killer.
But while Amin told Jeffrey the sentence should include the maximum period of custody of four years followed by three years under community supervision, Urquhart suggested the breakdown should be two years custody and five in the community.
Urquhart also argued her client, who was on bail until Monday, should receive credit for the 60 days he previously spent behind bars before being granted his release.
Jeffrey revoked the offender’s bail and ordered him taken into custody at the conclusion of counsel submissions, but said the clock on the custodial period of his sentence will begin right away.
Urquhart’s client was convicted of second-degree murder in the March 31, 2022, fatal shooting of 16-year-old Jal when the two went to an isolated area in northwest Calgary to look at the killer’s recently purchased rifle.
The prosecution initially indicated it would be seeking an adult sentence for the offender, but last week abandoned that plan.
Jeffrey also heard victim impact statements from the dead teen’s aunt and the victim’s football coach.
In the statement from Matthew Sauer, read in by Amin, the football coach said he is still haunted by the student’s killing when he drives by the location off Crowchild Trail N.W.
“The subsequent years have been tough,” Sauer wrote.
“Every time I drive by the place where it happened, I am brought to silence and unease. Reminded continually of how his life was taken too soon. Confused over why it happened. Upset.”
Sauer said the killing shocked the entire team and left players calling him in tears when they learned of their teammate’s death.
“I was left to try and console and to try and find answers,” the coach wrote.
He said the teen’s death was incomprehensible to many.
“The pain that was caused is felt by so many and is often still met with anger, frustration and confusion.”
And Jal’s aunt, reading her own statement, said her nephew may be gone, but he’s not forgotten.
“We still feel his love, the respect he has given us. We love you and miss (you) dearly.”