Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Ali Farah speaks to reporters outside the Edmonton courthouse after his son Mahamed Abdulle was convicted of murder Monday. (CBC)
Judge notes 'chilling' lack of remorse, refuses to believe killer's testimony
The father of a man convicted Monday in the murder of a Centre High student two years ago apologized to the victim's family.
"I'm just sorry because that boy is like my boy, my son," said Ali Farah.
Mahamed Abdulle, one of four people involved in Amoah's death, was found guilty of second-degree murder in death of Emmanuel Amoah, 19, in September 2010.
Abdulle was also convicted of offering an indignity to human remains.
Amoah's body was found near Ellerslie Road and 17th Street, 12 days after he was last seen leaving school.
Several people were target shooting at a clearing when events turned violent and Amoah was shot in the face, held down and beaten.
The Crown had hoped Abdulle would be convicted of first-degree murder, but the judge said the evidence does not show Abdulle lured or confined Amoah before the killing and that Amoah came to the clearing of his own will.
Abdulle held down Amoah's legs while another person strangled him. Abdulle then dragged Amoah's body into the woods, covering it with leaves.
The judge pointed to Abdulle's "chilling" lack of remorse and believed none of his testimony that couldn't be verified independently.
Throughout the hearing Monday Abdulle sat expressionless in the courtroom.
His father however offered an apology to the victim's family outside the courthouse.
"We are damaged, very damaged," he said. "He went the wrong way. He go with these stupid guys."
Abdulle, one of 10 children in the family, had applied three months before the murder to attend an engineering program at NAIT, Farah said.
The family came to Canada from Somalia in 1995, coming to Edmonton from Ontario seven years ago.
Amoah's family was not in court Monday.
Abdulle will be sentenced on Jan. 4.
Three youths were also charged in the murder. One youth pleaded guilty and was sentenced in February to four years in custody and three years probation.
Two others are scheduled to be in court in February 2013.