The sentencing hearing for two teens convicted of helping their friend cover up the murder of a tow-truck driver was a tense and emotional experience for the victim's family.
The young defendants, known only as K.A. and R.R. due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to numerous charges, including one count of accessory after the fact to reckless discharge of a firearm. The victim, Sulakshan “Sully” Selvasingam, was shot and killed on July 6, 2024, while sitting in his white Mercedes SUV at a Shell gas station.
At the hearing, the victim's sister, Krishiga, confronted the teens, expressing her outrage and sadness at their lack of remorse. She described her brother as a kind and caring person who had been a source of support for their family, especially after they fled the civil war in Sri Lanka for a better life in Canada.
“When I come to these court hearings and see these boys smiling at their parents and siblings,” Krishiga said, “I see boys with no remorse who don’t care about what they have done to our family. I see boys who don’t understand what a human life is worth, boys who think it’s OK to take away a child from their parents.”
The Crown had previously stated that the murder was connected to the violent culture of the tow-truck industry, with influential adults recruiting the killer to commit the offence. The Crown also noted that the teens had helped their friend search for Selvasingam and later destroy the car used in the fatal shooting.
The teens are scheduled to be sentenced in July, but for Krishiga, the outcome will not bring back her brother or restore their family to what it once was. “I will never get my brother back and my parents will never get their son back,” she said, “but at least my parents will always be able to say they were proud of their son.”
