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Ted Colley, Surrey Now

Published: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

SURREY – Accused murderer Katherine Quinn’s second trial is set to begin on April 6, 2010 in B.C. Supreme Court. The new trial is expected to last six weeks. Quinn, 27, and her boyfriend Robert Forslund, 28 at the time the crime was committed, were convicted in April 2007 of second-degree murder in the July 2, 2005 killing of 16-year-old Matthew Martins outside Surrey Central SkyTrain station.

Forslund savagely beat the teen and slashed his throat with a broken beer bottle after a brief scuffle between Quinn and the boy in which Quinn claimed she had been stabbed. Medical evidence at her trial showed she had received a superficial wound under one arm.

A witness at Quinn’s trial testified the accused had “jumped” the teen intending to steal a silver chain and crucifix he wore around his neck. Quinn denied the allegation. Martins later died in hospital.

While she did not participate physically in the deadly assault on Martins, Quinn was convicted of aiding and abetting Forslund when a B.C. Supreme Court jury found she had told him to “get” or “kill” the boy. The jury also found Quinn had given Forslund the beer bottle he used in the attack.

Quinn and Forslund were given mandatory life sentences with Forlsund ordered to serve at least 17 years before applying for parole. Quinn was condemned to 10 years behind bars before being allowed ask for early release.

Quinn’s conviction was overturned in June when the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled the Crown had not proven Quinn had given Forslund the bottle. The court also found the trial judge had erred in his instructions to the jury.

Last month, Quinn was granted bail pending trial. Forslund did not appeal his conviction or sentence.

The Last Six Minutes – A Mother’s Loss and Quest for Justice

Matthew’s killers have been tried, convicted and sentenced, but Sandra Martins-Toner and her family can’t escape their grief and the overwhelming sense of loss. They have channeled their anguish in to affirmative action for victims. The Last Six Minutes is the true account of the random and violent murder of 16-year-old Matthew Martins, and his family’s journey through the Canadian Criminal Justice System. Now the family is faced with the killers appeal and the torment of perhaps being subjected to yet another lengthy trial.

The news of Melissa Todorovic’s fate made headlines this week.

She was 15-years-old when 14-year-old Stefanie Rengel was fatally stabbed by Todorovic’s 17-year-old boyfriend on Jan. 1, 2008. Becuase of her age she was tried under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and convicted of first-degree murder.

When it came to her sentencing this week, the judge imposed a much harsher prison term than the maximum youth sentence. He sentenced Melissa Todorovic as an adult to life in prison.

Implications of the Outcome

For their thoughts on the implications of applying adult punishments to young offenders, Tom was joined by three guests.

David Toner is the president and co-founder of Families against Crime and Trauma, or FACT, and he was in Vancouver.

Bill Trudell is the Chair of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers. He was in Toronto.

Rosemary Gartner is a professor of Criminology and Sociology at the University of Toronto. She was in Toronto.

Listen to Part One: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2009/200907/20090730.html