A man who murdered his tyrannical father in a Toronto public library two years ago by shooting him in the back with a crossbow and smashing his skull with a hammer was sentenced to life imprisonment Tuesday, the closing chapter in a searing tale of family abuse.
Zhou (Peter) Fang, looking older than his 26 years, was handed the automatic life term by Mr. Justice John McMahon, who adopted a joint-sentencing submission by prosecution and defence and set parole eligibility at the 10-year mark – the minimum for a second-degree murder conviction.
“This killing can only be described as brutal and savage,” the judge said.
At the same time, however, the mitigating factors were considerable, Judge McMahon said.
Clad in an orange jailhouse jumpsuit and chewing his nails nervously, Mr. Fang nodded vigorously as the judge outlined the years of abuse the killer had sustained, resulting in a clear case of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr. Fang was originally charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of his father Si (William) Cheng, felled by a steel crossbow bolt at the east-side Main Street library Dec. 2, 2010, in front of horrified witnesses, many of whom fled the building in panic.
But in July he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
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Man handed life sentence in Toronto crossbow killing of abusive father - The Globe and Mail
Zhou (Peter) Fang, looking older than his 26 years, was handed the automatic life term by Mr. Justice John McMahon, who adopted a joint-sentencing submission by prosecution and defence and set parole eligibility at the 10-year mark – the minimum for a second-degree murder conviction.
“This killing can only be described as brutal and savage,” the judge said.
At the same time, however, the mitigating factors were considerable, Judge McMahon said.
Clad in an orange jailhouse jumpsuit and chewing his nails nervously, Mr. Fang nodded vigorously as the judge outlined the years of abuse the killer had sustained, resulting in a clear case of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr. Fang was originally charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of his father Si (William) Cheng, felled by a steel crossbow bolt at the east-side Main Street library Dec. 2, 2010, in front of horrified witnesses, many of whom fled the building in panic.
But in July he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
more
Man handed life sentence in Toronto crossbow killing of abusive father - The Globe and Mail