Mark -- killed
By Gerald V. Paul
Well, with a recent life term sentence imposed on a man who killed another who “ratted” to the police, a judge is hoping the sentence will deter others from intimidating those who speak to police.
Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer said on Tuesday as he sentenced Lamar Skeete that the murder of Kenneth Mark for speaking to the police “strikes at the very heart of our justice system.”
Skeete got life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 25 years. He will be eligible for parole when he is about 45.
“If individuals cannot feel free to come forward to the police without fear or reprisal, the justice system cannot function properly,” Nordheimer said.
A Toronto jury convicted Skeete, 21, of first degree murder, accepting he was responsible for planning the Dec. 29, 2009 execution of Mark as retribution for testifying that Skeete and his brother had shot him the previous year.
Nordheimer said he felt compelled to acknowledge that Mark, 30, who worked at Walmart, was “the type of young man we need in this city.”
“I can only hope that the outcome of this case will send a very clear message and serve as a strong deterrent to any other persons who might otherwise choose to try and intimidate any individual from pursuing their rights or from doing their duty as citizens.”
Before court officer led him away, Skeete was served with a subpoena to testify at the upcoming trial of a youth also facing a first-degree murder charge.
The Crown alleges the teen was the lookout who kept an eye on Mark as he ordered takeout from a pizza and wings place at the corner of Dundas St. W. and Gilmour Ave. Mark was shot once in the back of the head after leaving the outlet with his dinner.
Police sources said they hope the lengthy sentence will also give witnesses who feel compelled to talk to the police some sense of safety and security.
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