Halifax man sentenced to life in prison for murdering mother in fit of rage

A 41-year-old Halifax man who murdered his mother in a fit of rage after she kicked him out of their shared condominium has been sentenced to life in prison.

Jonathan William Pinsky pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April and was sentenced Wednesday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The conviction carries an automatic life sentence.

Justice Joshua Arnold set parole ineligibility at 10 years, minus time served while on remand. That was jointly recommended by the Crown and defence.

Crown attorney Samantha Allen said it is a "fit and appropriate sentence" for Pinsky.

"The circumstances around the offence are certainly tragic and unjustified, but in considering Mr. Pinsky's background — including the fact that he did not have any prior criminal record and his co-operation with the police and his early acceptance of responsibility and guilty plea in this matter — I do think it is the appropriate sentence," Allen told CBC News.

Pinsky was charged in October 2024 after the body of Delina (Lana) Pinsky, 71, was found in the storage area of the condo the mother and son shared on Quinpool Road in Halifax.

In an agreed statement of facts read into the record in April, Jonathan Pinsky said he had come home on the evening of Oct. 1, 2024, to find his mother angry and yelling at him.

He later told police he thought she was angry because she had to shout at him to turn on the closed captioning of a DVD she was watching.

She ordered him to move out of the condo by 10 p.m. and refused to further discuss it with him.

According to the statement, Pinsky flew into a rage and attacked his mother, punching her and kicking her in the midsection. He told police he believed she was "already probably dying" at that point, but he smothered her with a pillow and stabbed her in the neck before leaving her in the storage room covered with a sheet.

On Oct. 9, Pinsky's employer requested a wellness check because he had not been at work for more than a week. Police were let into the condo by the building manager, who reported an unpleasant smell.

They saw what appeared to be a bloodstain on a wall and found Delina Pinsky when they opened the door to the storage room.

Jonathan Pinsky was arrested on the evening of Oct. 11 after he was spotted by a coworker who called police. He told the arresting officer that the knife he'd used to stab his mother was at the bottom of his backpack. The next day, he gave a full confession to police.

"On the range of seriousness ranging from very egregious, sadistic torture-based things, it doesn't fall into that category," Allen said of Pinsky's actions. "But I certainly do not want to downplay the seriousness of the violence used here."

Delina Pinsky's obituary said she was "a beacon of grace and creativity," who had an impeccable sense of style and loved music and dancing. 

It said her true passion was her work as the reading support co-ordinator at the North End Public Library, where she helped connect children with free tutors and mentors for more than 30 years.

"Her unwavering commitment touched countless lives, leaving a legacy of hope and opportunity that will endure for generations," her obituary said.