Toronto

Man who killed his entire family should not get parole for at least 40 years, Crown and defence agree

The Crown and defence are seeking a 40-year period of parole ineligibility for a 24-year-old man who killed his entire family in Markham, Ont. last year.

Menhaz Zaman pleaded guilty to killing his parents, sister and grandmother last year

Menhaz Zaman, bottom left, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder for killing his parents, sister and grandmother on July 27, 2019, in their home in Markham, Ont. (Pam Davies/CBC)

The Crown and defence are seeking a 40-year period of parole ineligibility for a 24-year-old man who killed his entire family in Markham, Ont. last year.

Menhaz Zaman pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder for killing his parents, sister and grandmother on July 27, 2019, in their home.

All counts come with an automatic life sentence in prison.

At a sentencing hearing Monday, the Crown and defence say they want the period of parole ineligibility to run 25 years concurrently for the first-degree murder charges, plus 15 years of parole ineligibility for the second-degree murder count.

From left to right: Firoza Begum, 70; Momotaz Begum, 50; Malesa Zaman, 21 and Moniruz Zaman, 59. (Facebook)

Police found the bodies of 70-year-old Firoza Begum, 59-year-old Moniruz Zaman, 50-year-old Momtaz Begum, and 21-year-old Malesa Zaman in their home and arrested Menhaz Zaman, now 24 years old.

Zaman said in an agreed statement of facts that he killed his family because they were about to discover he had lied about going to university to become an engineer.

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