Sentencing for the man who has pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder will happen Dec. 15.
Alexander Stavropoulos, 28, stabbed a woman who was with her two children in a parking lot in June 2019. His goal that day was to kill a “little white girl,” and he attacked the woman in an attempt to get to her baby.
The baby also suffered injuries, such as bruising, but was not stabbed in the incident.
The Crown is seeking a life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 10 years.
Stavropoulos’ defence team of Nicholas Xynnis and Glenn Sandberg said their client should be sentenced to no more than 12 years, highlighting the fact Stavropoulos has shown significant remorse by pleading guilty.
During sentencing submissions, assistant Crown attorney Leonard Kim told Justice Karen Lische that even though it’s a case of attempted murder, Stavropoulos deserves the same severity of sentencing as if the victims had actually died.
Kim told the court for all intents, the crime was a murder that failed because Stavropoulos dropped the utility knife he had been using as he attacked the mother, and bystanders were able to intervene to stop the attack as Stavropoulos began punching the baby.
Kim argued the crime was premeditated and that part of the Crown’s reasoning for a life sentence is that parole stipulations can be made that would address any other situations where Stavropoulos might present himself as being dangerous to society.
