National

DNA match leads to conviction 22 years after B.C. sexual assault

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 May, 2024 11:12 AM

Police in Metro Vancouver say a DNA match led to a man's arrest and conviction more than 22 years after he broke into a woman's home and sexually assaulted her.

Richmond RCMP say Christopher Sharafi, also known as Mohammed Mendi Sharafi, was found guilty last October, and in April he was sentenced to five years in prison for the two offences dating back to December 2001.

The Mounties say the victim reported waking up to find a man standing in her room, and he then climbed into her bed and assaulted her as she tried to fight back.

They say in a statement that police collected and submitted DNA evidence for analysis, but the suspect remained unidentified until 2015, when the sample matched a known offender in the national DNA databank.

RCMP say Sharafi had been ordered to provide a DNA sample as part of a previous unrelated conviction and the Mounties' forensic laboratory confirmed the match.

They say Sharafi has now been found guilty of break and enter and sexual assault and sentenced to five years in prison for each offence, to be served concurrently.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Canadian short story legend, Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro has died

Short story legend Alice Munro, whose intricate tales depicting small-town southwestern Ontario earned her an international fanbase and the Nobel Prize in literature, has died at age 92. Penguin Random House Canada said Tuesday that Munro died Monday in her home in Port Hope, Ont.

Canadian short story legend, Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro has died

B.C. moves to cap rent hikes for those in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

The B.C. government has introduced legislation that would allow the City of Vancouver to limit rent increases for new tenants in its poorest neighbourhood, the Downtown Eastside. The rent cap is for those living in single-room occupancy buildings where the government says rents have increased from $800 a month to as high as $1,950 a month.

B.C. moves to cap rent hikes for those in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

B.C. moves to prevent offender name changes after child killer legally gets new name

Offenders in British Columbia convicted of serious Criminal Code offences will no longer be permitted to legally change their names under legislation introduced today. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the proposed law would amend the province's Name Act to ensure people convicted of dangerous offences can't change their name.

B.C. moves to prevent offender name changes after child killer legally gets new name

Light rain expected to help Fort McMurray wildfire as Grande Prairie blaze to grow

The fire near the oilsands hub, northeast of Edmonton, had grown to about 65 square kilometres. Officials said that's because they have a more accurate estimate not because flames are spreading. The fire remained about 16 kilometres from the city of 68,000 people. A fire there in 2016 destroyed roughly 2,400 homes.

Light rain expected to help Fort McMurray wildfire as Grande Prairie blaze to grow

B.C., Ottawa put up nearly $254M to expand heat pump rebates

The B.C. and federal governments have set aside nearly $254 million to expand rebates to convert home heating and cooling systems to more climate-friendly options with a focus on low- and middle-income households. A joint statement from Environment Canada and B.C.'s Energy Ministry says Ottawa is providing up to $103.7 million while the province is adding up to $151 million to increase the number of households eligible for upgrades.

B.C., Ottawa put up nearly $254M to expand heat pump rebates

Petition to recall Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek fails after falling far short of target

The petition effort to recall Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has officially failed. The city clerk says the petition collected fewer than 70,000 signatures, well short of the 514,000 needed under provincial law for the recall to kick in.