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Laura Szendrei's killer sentenced as an adult

Man gets life with no parole eligibility for seven years
laura
Laura Szendrei

The young man who murdered North Delta teenager Laura Szendrei in September 2010 has been sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility to apply for parole for seven years.

The 21-year-old hung his head low while cheers and sobs filled the packed courtroom in Surrey last Friday at the conclusion of his sentencing hearing.

"We're happier," Rachael Szendrei, Laura's mom, said as she left the courthouse. "It's unfortunate my daughter got sacrificed but it's a good thing that the justice system came through for us, and that everybody in Delta will be a lot safer.

"I miss Laura so much," she said.

Over the past few months lawyers have been arguing whether the killer, who was just shy of his 18th birthday when he murdered the 15-year-old, should be sentenced as an adult or a youth. If he were sentenced as a youth, he would have received a maximum seven years under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, with four of those years to be served in prison and the remainder in the community, under supervision. Justice Robin Baird noted the killer "was on the very threshold of adulthood" when he committed his "ruinously violent" offence, "only days short of the arbitrary line."

A publication ban on the killer's name will remain in effect until at least late January when Baird will hear arguments concerning its merits.

The young man hung his head and women in the gallery cried as Baird described the girl's "cruel death" in North Delta's Mackie Park.

"He tracked her down mercilessly," Baird said. "The violence was intentional and extreme." After the attack, Szendrei fought for her life until she died the next day at Royal Columbian Hospital from massive brain injuries.

Outside the courthouse Mike Szendrei, the victim's dad, spoke briefly with reporters.

"Not much to say, the judge looks like he's doing the right thing here," he said.

"The judge did the right thing. The rest of you parents out there maybe don't have to be scared this guy's crawling around, that's all."