Hannah Leflar's mother says killer's apology is 'bullshit'
'There was no real apology. It was just all about him and how he feels,' says Janet Leflar
Janet Leflar says she will never forgive the teen who killed her daughter Hannah.
The final day of the sentencing hearing to determine whether the killer, who was 16 at the time, should be given an adult sentence included an apology from the now 19-year-old.
The teen, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April 2016, cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
In response to the apology, Janet said one word: "Bullshit."
"There was no real apology. It was just all about him and how he feels. He's gonna be the superhero and stop crime now," she said, rolling her eyes. "No forgiveness ever. Never."
Killer says he'll stop crimes in advance
The young man, who stabbed 16-year-old Hannah Leflar to death in her home in January 2015, closed the defence's argument with his statement.
"I can't apologize enough for what I've done. No matter how many times I say I'm sorry or how I regret it, they won't ever fill that space I left you with," he said. "What it can do, though, is reassure you that I am never going to let this happen again, not by me, not by anyone else.
"Not when I'm around to stop it."
The teen said he wasn't in a stable state of mind at the time of the killing, but will reach out for medical help in the future, if needed.
"From here on out, I am going to live my life doing good for Hannah because of what I did to her," he said. "I know you may never forgive me for what I've done, but I will never quit asking God for forgiveness."
Janet said sitting through the trial has been difficult, but she has done it to make her daughter's voice heard. She said she' looking forward to hearing the final verdict.
"Every time we walk into court the scab gets ripped off again. How do we grieve?" she said. "I need to grieve for my daughter and I can't because we keep getting pulled back in."
Janet said her daughter was funny, smart and, overall, very sensible for her age.
This is in contrast to what two psychologists testified about the killer, calling him immature.
Crown calls killer 'cold and calculated'
Psychiatrist Brent Harold testified that the teen displayed a lack of remorse, something the Crown echoed.
"He is a high risk to re-offend," said Crown prosecutor Chris White, insisting the teen "self-medicated with a murder."
White also called the killer "cold and calculated."
- Hannah Leflar's killer threatened to harm self if sentenced as adult, psychologist tells hearing
- Hannah Leflar's killer mused about becoming 'serial killer' in online messages
Defence Corinne Maeder said the teen has spent 862 days in jail and that a youth sentence would hold him accountable.
"While many do not care what happens to him, he deserves to be treated fairly," she said.
Janet said a youth sentence would be exactly the opposite of fair.
"If he gets anything less than an adult sentence, that is not justice for our daughter and it's not justice for us," said Janet. "And it conveys that if you're under 18 you can get away with murder and walk away with nothing."
Justice Jennifer Pritchard will announce her sentence for Hannah Leflar's killer on July 5 at 2 p.m. CST.
An adult sentence carries a term of life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years, while a youth sentence would amount to 10 years, involving time both in and out of custody.
With files from CBC's Adam Hunter