The second week of the sentencing hearing for Hannah Leflar’s killer resumed with the defence calling Mike McLean to the stand.
The deputy director at Paul Dojack Youth Centre testified that when the youth arrived at the jail in Jan. 2015, he was “withdrawn,” and “he didn’t participate and chose not to engage in recreational activities.”
The centre tried to engage the youth in activities, but he declined.
McLean said he often talked about self-harm and his actions were similar to other youths that were depressed.
He recalled one incident where the youth actually tried to self-harm. In past testimony, court has heard the youth threatened suicide if he was given an adult sentence.
Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the youth cannot be identified because he was 16 years old at the time of the murder.
The crown is seeking an adult sentence, which carries an automatic life sentence of 25 years, with no chance of parole for ten years.
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Court also heard he was bullied on and off “the majority of his first year”, and received death threats from other teens.
“We’ll see you get raped when you get to correctional,” one teen said to the youth.
McLean explained other teens believed the rumours that he “raped and murdered” his girlfriend. Rumors also circulated that he was a “redneck,” and “white supremacist”.
In March, “things came to a head”, when the youth went to staff about the bullying and death threats.
After discussions with the other teens at the centre, McLean said things improved for the youth and there was “significant changes” at the jail.
The youth was now more engaged and participated in more activities. However, he still spent a lot of time playing video games and doing “loner” activities, McLean said.
Court also heard from Karen Wadelius, a facility youth worker who worked with the teen between Jan. 2015 to April 2016.
Wadelius said the youth was active in paid chores, being assigned a number of jobs at the jail.
She believed he had “gained the respect of his peers”, comparing his time when he first arrived at the jail to after.
The court also heard he suffered verbal abuse and bullying in the early months and he talked about suicide “lots”.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about killing myself,” he told her.
The defence will call their next witness, an expert psychologist on Wednesday.
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