BUMPED THREAD - Van hits pedestrians in Toronto - 10 dead, 16 more injured

[robkelk]

Close to three years after the attack, and the attacker has had his day in court.

His lawyers argued that he was "not criminally responsible" because of autism spectrum disorder leading to an inability to empathize with others.

The judge outright rejected that argument:

"He considered the impact it would have on his family, and deliberately set those thoughts aside, ignoring them, because he did not want them to deter him from achieving this important goal," she said, noting that he had been fantasizing about a crime like this for over a decade. "He was capable of understanding the impact it would have on his victims.

"He knew death would be irreversible. He knew their families would grieve."

The judge found the attacker guilty of ten counts of murder and sixteen counts of attempted murder.

The judge also made a decision that I completely agree with, and sharp-eyed readers will have already noted that I follow the same principle in this thread.

Molloy made sure to say the name and age of each of the victims in her decision. She also listed the serious, and in some cases life-changing injuries suffered by those who survived, including broken bones, bleeding on the brain and a collapsed lung.

The judge also said she would not be naming the killer in her decision and referred to him instead as "John Doe," noting that notoriety was a driving force in his crimes.

"I am acutely aware that all of this attention and media coverage is exactly what this man sought from the start," she said.

For the curious, here's the complete text of the decision - all sixty-nine pages.