Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Chinese mother of teenage girl found dead in B.C. tearfully testifies at murder trial

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Aug, 2023 04:50 PM
  • Chinese mother of teenage girl found dead in B.C. tearfully testifies at murder trial

The Chinese mother of a 13-year-old girl found dead in a Burnaby, B.C., park six years ago has taken the witness stand at the murder trial of her accused killer.

The mother, who cannot be named under the terms of a publication ban on the girls' identity, broke down in tears as she talked about the meaning of her daughter's Chinese name. The name is a reference to the light rain that was falling on the day the girl was born, she told the British Columbia Supreme Court hearing.

The girl's body was found in Burnaby's Central Park in the early hours of July 19, 2017, just hours after her mother reported her missing.

The woman repeatedly wept at the mention of the girl's name during the trial of Ibrahim Ali on Wednesday.

Ali pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the case earlier this year.

The mother, testifying in Mandarin through an interpreter, told the court her daughter had been taking morning summer school classes in July 2017 and spent her afternoons looking at her cellphone or doing crafts.

She testified her daughter "was always home" at night when the mother would get home from her job at a grocery store, noting the latest she would work was 8 p.m. 

The girl was also learning to play the flute and she would sometimes go jogging, the court heard.

"Sometimes she'd go out to have fun with friends but she'd always tell me where she was going," the mother said.

She told the court she would often take her daughter skating and swimming.

Holding back tears, the mother held up her cellphone and repeatedly zoomed in on a photo of a girl in ice skates.

"That's when I took her skating," she said through tears. "On July 10, I still brought her skating."

The judge then suggested the Crown take a 20-minute break.

The mother later testified her daughter never had sleepovers with friends and she never saw her with boys or men, the mother said. 

She said she also never saw the teenager drink alcohol or do drugs, and she only spoke Mandarin and English.

The mother told the court she spent time with her daughter in the weeks leading up to her death, including bringing her and a friend to Canada Place for Canada Day fireworks and for a hike at Joffre Lakes Park. 

She also recounted going shopping to buy the girl clothes at the mall.

"She never got to use any of them before she died," the mother said.

The mother's testimony came Wednesday after defence attorney Kevin McCullough cross-examined the victim's brother.

The man said his sister was having "conflicts" with their mother before her death.

In response to McCullough's questions, the man said he had very little in-person contact with his sister in the years before her death because he was living in Beijing, but they often spoke over the phone when he'd call his mother in Canada.

He said he and his sister had five direct-message conversations using the app WeChat after he visited Canada in February and March 2017.

"We also spoke when my mom called me through my mom's WeChat so we did chat more frequently than this would indicate," he said.

The man testified Tuesday that he last saw his sister on a video call a few weeks before she died, saying she was laughing and seemed happy.

He said he spoke to the girl via WeChat around 7:15 p.m. PST on July 18, 2017. She had texted him in a mixture of English and Mandarin about his clothing size and which Harry Potter house he would choose, he said.

He told the court he first learned of his sister's disappearance from their concerned mother a few hours later, prompting him to reach out to her again.

Crown attorney Isobel Keeley said at the start of the trial that the court would hear evidence showing the girl's killing was random, but that DNA results would prove Ali sexually assaulted her.

She said the evidence would show the girl was passing through a neighbourhood park when she was dragged off a pathway into the forest by Ali, sexually assaulted and strangled.

The defence has not yet told the jury its theory of events.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada mulling 'game plan' if U.S. takes far-right, authoritarian shift: Joly

Canada mulling 'game plan' if U.S. takes far-right, authoritarian shift: Joly
Joly added that Ottawa's close political and economic ties to the U.S. means that "we must certainly prepare several scenarios." She suggested Canada has a game plan in mind but wouldn't get into details.

Canada mulling 'game plan' if U.S. takes far-right, authoritarian shift: Joly

NDP calls on feds to give study permits to institutions with 'credible' housing plan

NDP calls on feds to give study permits to institutions with 'credible' housing plan
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press that the federal government is reconsidering international student flows, particularly since some students have been victims of fraud. 

NDP calls on feds to give study permits to institutions with 'credible' housing plan

Thousands of residents around West Kelowna on evacuation alert as fire flares

Thousands of residents around West Kelowna on evacuation alert as fire flares
The Regional District of Central Okanagan posted the evacuation alert for as many as 4800 properties just before 10:30pm, Wednesday, about four hours after the McDougall Creek blaze was spotted 10 kilometres northwest of West Kelowna.

Thousands of residents around West Kelowna on evacuation alert as fire flares

B.C. police seek suspected getaway driver in killing of Sikh temple leader Nijjar

B.C. police seek suspected getaway driver in killing of Sikh temple leader Nijjar
Homicide investigators in British Columbia say they are seeking a third suspect in the killing of Surrey Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down on June 18. Pierotti told a media briefing that the suspected getaway driver waited for the other suspects in a silver 2008 Toyota Camry that was parked near 121 Street and 68 Avenue before and during the killing.

B.C. police seek suspected getaway driver in killing of Sikh temple leader Nijjar

152 affordable homes being built for seniors in Delta

152 affordable homes being built for seniors in Delta
Located at 1054 - 54A St., KinVillage Apartments will have 145 one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom homes. All units will be adaptable or accessible, allowing the suites to be easily and inexpensively modified to meet residents’ needs as they age. 

152 affordable homes being built for seniors in Delta

China leaves Canada off list of countries approved for group tours

China leaves Canada off list of countries approved for group tours
China has lifted a pandemic ban on group tours to several countries, including the United States and Australia, but tourists are still be barred from group visits to Canada. The change announced by China's culture and tourism ministry last week allows Chinese and online travel agencies to book group tours and packages for Chinese tourists in 70 more countries all over the world.

China leaves Canada off list of countries approved for group tours