Couple who beat teen to death sentenced to life
Last Updated: Friday, April 27, 2007 | 9:15 PM PT
CBC News
A couple convicted of second-degree murder in the beating death of a teenager at a Surrey, B.C., skytrain station has been sentenced to life in prison.
Robert Alan Forslund, 28, will have to serve 17 years before being eligible for parole. He was caught on skytrain surveillance tapes beating 16-year-old Matthew Martins to death in July 2005.
Katherine Anne Quinn, 24, will have to serve 10 years before her parole eligibility. The second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence.
Justice Selwyn Romilly said although Quinn did not take part in the actual beating of the victim, she did encourage it.
Court was told the attack began when Quinn jumped Martins to steal his necklace. The jury heard how she gave Forslund the command to kill by saying, "If you love me, you'll kill him."
The boy was thrown into a Plexiglas wall, kicked, stomped in the head and had his throat cut with a beer bottle.
The courtroom was overflowing with family and friends of Martins. David Toner, Martins's father, said Quinn got off lightly.
"She was really the author of this whole thing. It started with her actions and so I think really it could've been a little heavier for her."
In court, Quinn's father spoke briefly, stating he believes his daughter is innocent. Quinn's lawyer, Jim Millar, has already said there will be an appeal of the conviction.
Sandra Martins-Toner, Martins's mother, had this message for him:
"All I can say to Mr. Millar, Quinn's lawyer, [is] we're waiting."
With files from the Canadian PressShare Tools
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