J. O’Connor

Nicholas Baig pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the stabbing death of his pregnant wife, Arianna Goberdhan.

The court was tasked with determining the period of parole ineligibility, which must be between 10 and 25 years.

The court considered the nature of the offence, the circumstances surrounding its commission, and the character of the offender, applying principles of denunciation, deterrence, and proportionality.

Aggravating factors included the domestic nature of the homicide, the victim's vulnerability due to pregnancy, the brutality of the attack, the offender's lack of insight, and attempts to cover up the crime.

Mitigating factors included the offender's youth, guilty plea, and lack of prior criminal record.

The court imposed a parole ineligibility period of 17 years.

The plaintiff religious corporation sought repayment of funds raised by its congregation that were used by the defendants to purchase and renovate a new, larger place of worship under a newly incorporated entity.

The plaintiff also sought repayment for a mortgage placed on its original property to fund its conversion into a funeral home.

The court dismissed both the plaintiff's claims for breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, and conversion, as well as the defendants' counterclaim for the value of improvements.

The court found that the fundraising and property transition were done with the knowledge and support of the original directors, and both parties ultimately benefited from the respective properties.