Nearly six years after 19-year-old Firdous Nabizada was stabbed to death and six others were seriously injured outside a Halloween frat party in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood, Jacob Alves has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Alves, 24, sat quietly in a downtown Toronto courtroom as Justice Kelly Byrne explained her reasons for sentence.
“Notwithstanding he has no memory of the offences, he does not dispute he committed the offences, most of which was captured on video surveillance,” said Byrne.
Byrne explained that Alves made the sober choice to arm himself with a knife before he consumed alcohol or drugs and before attending the party and was prepared to use it in a drunken state.
Nabizada was among a group of strangers who was attacked by Alves outside the fraternity house at 22 Madison Ave., on Oct. 31, 2019, after Alves was ejected from the house party.
Nabizada made his own way to hospital with the help of friends and died in hospital two days later.
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In August 2023, a jury found Alves who was on trial for second degree murder, guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter and guilty of six counts of assault. The sentencing was delayed due to a number of circumstances.
The crown had been asking for a sentence of 17 years in prison minus credit for time spent in custody while the defence suggested a six-year sentence, in effect time served in pre-trial custody.
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Byrne noted that Nabizada was the final victim in a series of stabbing victims and Alves was the only one at the party who armed himself with a knife.
“This was a Halloween party. The crowd was peaceful and easy other than Alves. He was the aggressor and each victim was responding to his aggression to try to calm him down,” said Byrne.
The judge said mitigating circumstances included the fact that Alves is a youthful first-time offender who admitted that he alone caused the death of Nabizada and injured six others.
The judge said the 11-year sentence for manslaughter will be served concurrently with the six other sentences she imposed ranging from one to five years for the six assault convictions.
Alves was given seven years and nine months for pre-trial credit and has three years and three months left to serve on his sentence. He was also given a lifetime weapons ban and a DNA order.
Defence lawyer Sid Freeman says there will be consideration of an appeal.
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