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Sentencing hearing underway for man who shot a Surrey teen

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NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS1130) – Emotional family members relived tragic moments at the sentencing hearing for a man who shot and killed a Surrey teen.

In BC Supreme Court in New Westminster, 16-year-old Adem Aliu was described as a good student and popular soccer player. He was shot while running away from his attacker in July, 2010. Court heard it happened on a night of mischief, after the teen had just slashed the tires of a BMW 650, parked outside a home.

The car’s owner, 22-year-old Steven Mulligan-Brum, pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year. Defence Lawyer Lawrence Myers says he thought someone else was after him.

“He felt a need to try and scare these guys off because he himself was scared for himself and his family,” Myers argues.  “He misunderstood who was out there and what they were doing.”

The weapon was a .40 calibre, 9 mm handgun.  Two shots were fired, one of which hit Alieu in the back of the head.

“The level of risk taking here was unimaginable,” Crown prosecutor Christopher McPherson argued in court.  “It’s hard to think how he could have found this an appropriate course of action.  In a civilized society, one does not fire a gun in the middle of the night when you can’t see people.”

In the small but full courtroom, Mulligan-Brum apologized to the Aliu’s family and his own family in court today.  He claims he has “grown-up a lot” since the incident, and takes full responsibility for his actions.

Mulligan-Brum pleaded guilty to manslaughter in September, 2011. He faces a minimum of four years, minus up to 2.3 years time served. That’s the minimum sentence for manslaughter with a firearm, but Crown wants him to serve closer to eight years.  

He’s been held in custody since his arrest.
    
Mulligan-Brum has two previous convictions, one of which led to jail time after trafficking cocaine and heroin.

Aliu immigrated to Canada after leaving Kosovo at a young age.  In the victim impact statements, his uncle says he adopted the boy so that he could have a better life in this country.

A judge has reserved her decision on sentencing until May 30.   

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