B.C. killer seeks to attend sentencing by video over safety concerns

A defence lawyer for Ibrahim Ali, who was convictedof first-degree murder of a 13-year-old girl in Burnaby, B.C., said on Tuesdayhis clientwants to appear at his sentencing hearing by video due to fear for his safety.

Kevin McCullough told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that Ali's attendance in person poses "real safety issues'' and he's prepared to file additional affidavits to support the defence position.

Ali's defence has previously told the court that the victim'sfather brought a gun to court on the day Ali was convicted, and while no charges were laid, the father was issued a five-yearweapons ban in a Surrey court this month after two licensed gunswere seized from his home.

McCullough told the court that he will attendremotely if Ali is compelled toattend the sentencing in person, becausehe's "certainly not going to be [caught]in the gunfire.''

He told the judge that he can't believe the Crown's position that Ali must attend in person, given whathas occurred.

"This is not a safe environment for me," he said of the courthouse in Vancouver.

The body of the girl,whose name is protected by a publicationban,was found in Burnaby's Central Park in July 2017. Ali wasarrested the following year.

A jury took less than 24 hours to reach its guilty verdict at the end of the eight-month trial last December.Ali faces a mandatory life term with no chance of parole for 25years.

McCullough said Tuesday that Ali is "adamant that he is innocent."

"He is adamant that he didn't kill [the victim], and I expect he will be saying that repeatedly in an open courtroom if he were obliged to come.''

Prosecutor Isobel Keeley saidthe Crown is opposed to Aliattending his sentencing remotely, and the Criminal Code indicatessuch an appearance should be in person unless the defence and Crownagree on an alternative with the court's approval.

Keeley saidmembers of the murdered girl's family will be travelling from China to attend, and she expects they will deliver three separate victim impact statements.

She saidone of those will be a video recording from the victim's father reading his statement in Mandarin, with a translated copy to be read aloud in English.

Another hearing is scheduled Friday to confirm the sentencing dates.