The details of this story may be disturbing to some readers
A teen appeared in Court of Queen’s Bench on Friday, April 23, to be sentenced for her role in the murder of 36-year-old Fazal Rehman in October of 2017.
The teen, who cannot be identified under the provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was charged with accessory after the fact of murder and attempting obstruction of justice on June 5 of 2017. These charges were later upgraded to murder. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in January of this year.
Fazal Rehman died at the hands of Dylan Howard on October 16, 2017. Rehman was shot and stabbed before he and his car were doused with a mixture of gasoline and diesel, and set afire in a rural area near the Village of Morrin. Howard pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 25 years.
The court heard of the teen’s role in the murder. At 15, she had already developed a serious drug addiction. She knew the victim as she and Howard would procure drugs from him. Motivated by being sexually abused by the deceased, she helped to lure Rehman to the rural area from Calgary. She broke into her mother‘s home and stole a rifle, a clip, and ammunition from a closet.
While she did not participate in the murder, she was there when it happened and helped dispose of the gun and knife, neither of which have been recovered. She also participated in coming up with a fictitious story to cover the murder.
The youth had a difficult upbringing that included sexual assault at a very young age by her father, spent time in foster care, and a strained relationship with her mother and stepfather. As a teen, she began using drugs and alcohol, and by the time she was 15, she was addicted to cocaine and methamphetamines.
Crown Prosecutor Mac Vomberg, in his sentencing submissions, noted that while she had a dysfunctional upbringing, she took an active role in the crime.
Vomberg read victim impact statements to the court from the family of Rehman.
“My husband was like the whole world for our family,” said his wife and mother of four children, Sadia Rehman.
The teen has spent 466 days in custody, and after gaining release, has spent 589 days under strict conditions from the court. Defence attorney Andrea Urquhart told the court her client is maintaining her sobriety and has expressed remorse. She has completed treatment for her addiction and counseling while incarcerated, and that continued while she was on release.
While the Crown and defence were agreeable that she has spent an appropriate period in custody, they were not in agreement on a period of probation. The Crown asked for two years, while the defence argued the defendant has made progress in her rehabilitation.
“There has already been significant rehabilitation in custody and out of custody. She’s not starting from scratch,” said Urquhart.
In handing down sentence, Justice Robert Hall said for her role in the murder, “the harm done was egregious.” He noted her prospects of rehabilitation were very good. He agreed that her period of custody was appropriate, with one year of probation.
