Lawyer calls youth centre director in Leflar killer sentencing hearing

The lawyer representing the teen who pleaded guilty to killing Hannah Leflar called a witness of her own on Monday.

The teen's lawyer, Corrine Maeder, called the deputy director of the Paul Dojack Youth Centre to testify on Monday. Michael McLean said the accused received a most improved award for academics within the centre. 

McLean said at one point, the teen printed off material from the internet about Leflar's death — something which is against the rules of the facility.

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McLean said the teen was very reserved when it came to activities within the facility and would not participate.

"We tried many times to engage," McLean said. "He just wouldn't."

McLean said the teen had talked frequently about self-harm. Last week, it was noted that the teen had threatened suicide if he were to receive an adult sentence.

Though the teen still spends time alone, McLean said he has seen "significant" improvement in terms of his behaviour.

Now into its second week, the sentence hearing is to determine if the now 19-year-old, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, should receive an adult sentence for the killing. 

Last week's developments

Facebook messages between the teen and an 18-year-old girl were read on Friday, which revealed the teen and the girl talking about harming Leflar. 

The messages included the teen saying he wanted to kill Leflar, that he wanted to become a serial killer and both he and the girl talked of attacking Leflar.

The girl said she thought it was just two people kidding around and that she didn't expect the teen to actually do anything.

During his testimony last week, Brent Harold, a child psychiatrist, said the accused had displayed "psychopathic tendencies."

Harold added he had only noticed similar behaviours in about four of five youths out of thousands — and the accused is one of them.

Leflar's body was found in her Regina home in January 2015.

The accused and another teen, who were both 16 at the time, were arrested. The other teen charged in Leflar's death pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February. 

The hearing is expected to wrap up this week.