At least 10 years in prison for fatal stabbing near St. Laurent mall
The man found guilty last week of second-degree murder and assault for a 2022 triple stabbing near St. Laurent Shopping Centre will spend 10 years in prison before he's eligible for parole.
Marcus Maloney, 19, was killed in the attack on the afternoon of Sept. 16, 2022. Two others were injured.
Mohamed Osman, then 18, was charged the next day.
Last Wednesday, an Ontario Superior Court jury in Ottawa found Osman guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
He's automatically sentenced to life in prison, but a judge had to determine how long it will be before Osman is eligible to apply for parole — anywhere from 10 to 25 years.
That decision came Thursday: Osman will spend at least 10 years behind bars before becoming eligible for parole, plus four years for each assault conviction, to be served concurrently.
'The kids cry every day'
Before sentencing, court heard emotional victim impact statements from Maloney's friends and family.
His mother Kelly Maloney said not a day goes without tears. She told court that just before the deadly encounter at St. Laurent Shopping Centre, her son called her and she could hear commotion in the background.
She said she didn't realize at the time it was the last time she'd tell him "I love you."
Shortly after, the fight broke out near the mall's entrance and Osman stole a knife from a nearby Dollarama. According to the Crown, a "series of terrible decisions" spanning less than a minute resulted in Maloney's death and the injuries to his friends.
"This has just been the most horrible thing. Any mother should never, ever have to go through [this]," Kelly Maloney said.
From left to right, Marcus Maloney's godmother Kathleen Wilson, his mother Kelly Maloney, and family friends Annie Gagnon and Rémi Boucher stand outside the Ottawa Courthouse on Sept. 18, 2024. (Emma Weller/CBC)
Maloney's sisters said their last memory of their older brother is the video that circulated on social media of him getting stabbed.
"The kids cry every day, they have a hard time going to school, they have a hard time being in public places. I don't think they will ever take a city bus or go to a shopping mall," Kelly Maloney said.
She also said she wishes Osman would never get parole, but added she's "relieved this part's over, [and] justice has been served."
In determining his eligibility for parole, the judge said he took into consideration Osman's age — he's now 20 — and his likelihood of rehabilitation.
Osman's lawyer said his client has chosen to better himself since his arrest, and has even completed high school.
A letter from one of his teachers that was read aloud in court described Osman as respectful, resilient and driven in the classroom.
Osman came to Canada from Ethiopia when he was five as a refugee with his mother and siblings, his lawyer told court.
