A Quebec Superior Court judge is expected to deliver his sentence following a trial and sentence hearing in the case of a drive-by shooting of a 15-year-old girl in 2021.
In March, a jury found Salim Touaibi guilty of murdering Meriem Boundaoui and also convicted him of four counts of attempted murder.
During an emotional sentencing hearing on April 2, the family of the teenager remembered her as their “joy, pride and hope” in emotional victim impact statements.
The Superior Court trial heard that Boundaoui was sitting in the passenger seat of a Volkswagen Jetta in Montreal’s St-Léonard borough on Feb. 7, 2021, when a white Mercedes with two men inside pulled up and one of them opened fire.
Touaibi testified to being the shooter, but said he didn’t realize Boundaoui or anyone else was in the car when he shot at it with the intention of scaring those nearby.
Prosecutor Simon Lapierre suggested Touaibi should be given a life sentence for the attempted murders, given the violent nature of the crime, the number of victims and his criminal history.
Touaibi’s lawyer, Marc Labelle, acknowledged that his client had committed a violent crime. However, he said Touaibi was not a hardened criminal, despite having a criminal record, adding that the accused had admitted his actions and shown regret. He suggested a 12- to 14-year sentence instead.
He automatically faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
Justice Yvan Poulin is expected to announce Touaibi’s sentence Thursday morning on the four counts of attempted murder related to the several people who were standing near the Jetta when he opened fire.
