As an interpreter leaned to his right ear, Selvanayagam Selladurai, 46, heard that the next four years and a month of his life well be spent in prison.
Selladurai plead guilty to three counts of aggravated assault last month stemming from a June 2007 incident that saw him run down his daughter, Anitha Selvanayagam, 16, his daughter’s boyfriend, and his son-in-law with a minivan in Scarborough.
Justice John McMahon said that although Selladurai was suffering from depression at the time of the assault, this did not excuse his actions.
McMahon claimed that Selladurai did not approve of his daughters relationship with her boyfriend, Prashanna “Pram” Anadarajah, 18, as he was from a lower caste in their native country Sri Lanka and that their relationship would bring “shame to the family”.
The court heard Tuesday that Selladurai believed that Anadarajah was a gang leader and that it was this reason alone that provoked the attack.
Selladurai was to be sentenced to five years, however McMahon took away 11 months for time already served.
“You are lucky that no one was killed,” said McMahon.
Andarajah, the intended target, suffered only a sprained ankle, which he limped on towards a nearby school to get away from Selladurai, who was threatening to kill him.
Anitha Selvanayagam and Lenin Sandrasingam, 21, Selladurais son-in-law, were dragged underneath the minivan for five metres.
Selvanayagam suffered hemorrhaging to her head, a fractured clavicle, a lacerated liver and other back injuries. She was hospitalized for three weeks. Sandrasingam endured a broken pelvic bone and needed immediate surgery. He continues to walk with a cane.
Crown attorney Eadit Rokach said that she was appreciative of Justice McMahons decision.
“[He did] a really good job of laying out the facts and reasons,” she said after the sentencing in Superior Court in Toronto.
McMahon told Selladurai and the court that cultural disputes do not exempt anyone from committing crimes in Canada.
Original sentencing was to occur on Nov. 2, however an interpreter was not available.
No comments:
Post a Comment