National

Ibrahim Ali's lawyers call no evidence in B.C. murder trial

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Nov, 2023 11:38 AM

Ibrahim Ali's lawyers have told the jury in his first-degree murder trial they will not be calling any evidence in defence of allegations he sexually assaulted and killed a 13-year-old girl in Burnaby.

Defence lawyer Kevin McCullough told the jury that the Crown hasn't met the burden of proof to find Ali guilty.

Justice Lance Bernard told the jury that closing arguments from both Crown and defence are expected to begin in about a week.

Ali has pleaded not guilty to murdering the teenager, whose name has been protected by a publication ban.

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

The jury heard from almost 50 Crown witnesses over the course of the trial, including police, civilians and experts.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Spike in Vancouver's homeless count

The count by the Homelessness Services Association of B-C was done on March 7th and 8th -- and identified just under five thousand people in 11 communities, up from the roughly 36-hundred identified in the March 2020 count.

Spike in Vancouver's homeless count

Surrey business community grapples with police tax

Business leaders in Surrey are pleading with the province to provide a clear plan as the city grapples with the next stage of implementing a new police force. The Surrey Board of Trade has sent a letter to Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth saying the city needs a solid policing strategy with adequate wraparound support services and infrastructure as it juggles the costs of the outgoing R-C-M-P and incoming Surrey Police Service.

Surrey business community grapples with police tax

B.C. sets out law to ban use of illegal drugs in many public places

British Columbia is setting out new rules as it attempts to navigate a way to curb the overdose crisis with drug decriminalization. Possession of small amounts of many illicit drugs was decriminalized in B.C. in January after the federal government issued an exemption, but legislation introduced by the province today would make their use illegal in many public spaces.

B.C. sets out law to ban use of illegal drugs in many public places

'Extremely fluid': Liberals and NDP haven't yet agreed on promised pharmacare bill

The federal New Democrats have rejected the first draft of the Liberals' pharmacare legislation, in what the health minister describes as "extremely fluid" negotiations over the highly anticipated bill. The Liberals promised to table pharmacare legislation this fall as part of the supply-and-confidence deal the government struck with the NDP.

'Extremely fluid': Liberals and NDP haven't yet agreed on promised pharmacare bill

Victoria police looking for suspects in possible arson

Police in Victoria say they're looking for two women who may have seen the suspect or suspects in a possible arson over the weekend. They say officers responded Saturday evening to reports of two fires inside a retail store, where staff used fire extinguishers to douse the initial flames.

Victoria police looking for suspects in possible arson

Man rams SUV into police cruiser

B-C's police watchdog has found a man who rammed his S-U-V into a police cruiser outside a Vancouver Island R-C-M-P detachment last spring was not seriously injured when he was hit by a single police bullet. One officer was also injured in the incident last May.