Advertisement

Trial date set for Hamilton teen accused of killing Devan Selvey

Devan Selvey was fatally stabbed outside Sir Winston Churchill High School in October of 2019. Submitted to Global News by victim's family

The teen accused of fatally stabbing Devan Selvey outside of his east Hamilton high school will see his second-degree murder trial begin on Nov. 8.

The accused, who can’t be identified under a court-ordered publication ban, appeared via a conference call from the Arrell Youth Detention Centre on Thursday and was told by Justice Andrew Goodman the trial will be in front of a jury.

The trial is scheduled for four weeks with pre-trial motions to start on June 14 for three days, and four more days in August starting Aug. 16.

Counsel for the accused, who appeared in court via Zoom, suggested a “challenge for cause” when choosing jurors due to publicity surrounding the case.

Story continues below advertisement

The request allows for prospective jurors to be dismissed if believed the individual cannot be fair, unbiased or capable of serving as a juror.

The youth, who was 14 in October 2019, was initially charged with first-degree murder in Selvey’s death.
Selvey was fatally stabbed outside of Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Oct. 7, 2019.
Another teen, who was 18 at the time and the brother of the accused, pleaded guilty in August 2020 to unauthorized possession of a weapon and is serving 15 months of probation on a suspended sentence.
Selvey’s mother said her son was being bullied before he was killed and claims staff at the school and at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School didn’t do enough to prevent his death.
An independent review launched as a result of Selvey’s death has resulted in nearly a dozen recommendations for the board to improve how it responds to bullying incidents.
Story continues below advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices