מערדער פין טאראנטא איד לייף אין פריזאן
Man gets life for murder of Orthodox Jew
CANADIAN PRESS
A man convicted in a murder described by Jewish groups as a hate crime was sentenced today to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years.
Christopher Steven McBride, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the July 2002 death of David Rosenzweig, an Orthodox Jew who was a father of six and a well-known community figure.
McBride admitted he was furious after being the butt of a practical joke by a group of Jewish teens and stabbed Rosenzweig in the back, although he had nothing to do with the prank.
Prosecutor Fred Braley conceded that there were "religious or racial elements" to the slaying but the Crown did not charge McBride with a hate crime.
Anita Bromberg of B'nai Brith Canada said it was clear McBride ''got angry at one Jew and took it out on another Jew."
Before sentencing, his lawyer read a letter McBride had written that asked for forgiveness from the Rosenzweig family.
McBride had originally been charged with first-degree murder, but in a plea agreement, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
"While we are relieved to have some kind of closure on this tragedy, nothing can make up for the fact that a good man was brutally taken from his family," said Joel Richler, Ontario chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress.
"We can only hope that the Rosenzweig family will take some measure of comfort from the fact that there will be no trial."
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