A teenager has been found guilty of second-degree murder for beating 19-year-old Karim Meskine to death with a baseball bat in December, 2013.
The teen was 16 years old at the time and cannot be named. The judge found he was “mildly intoxicated” at the time of the incident and that he “intended the natural consequence of his actions” when he beat Meskine in the head with the bat.
Crown will now be asking for an adult sentence.
Meskine was discovered laying on the ground by a passerby on Dec. 17, 2013, near the 22nd Street SkyTrain station in New Westminster.
He was only 18 years old and was beaten so severely that before he passed away the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team had already been called in to investigate. He died one day after his 19th birthday.
When Meskine was beaten he was going for a job interview to help support his family. His dad has been looking for a job for some time and the family does not have much money. One of his younger brothers is also disabled and needed some expensive medical care.
Those who knew him described him as “a quiet, humble teen who wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“This was an extremely tragic case that shocked the community on a number of levels,” said Staff Sergeant Jennifer Pound in a release. “IHIT and New Westminster Police have worked in partnership with Crown Counsel to ensure justice was served on the responsible individual. This second degree murder conviction is confirmation that, despite one’s age, those who believe it is their right to callously take a life will be held responsible for their actions.”
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