Calgary man jailed for helping his friend conceal car used in murder
Judge hands down 13-month sentence for attempting to obstruct justice
Helping his pal conceal a car wanted by police in connection with a gangland-style murder has landed a Calgary man a 13-month jail term.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Keith Yamauchi on Friday said Bader Eddin Amer’s conduct warranted a sentence in excess of the six- to nine-month punishment proposed by lawyer Ian McKay.
But the judge stopped short of sentencing Amer to the two-year period sought by Crown prosecutor Rajbir Dhillon, which would have sent the offender to a federal penitentiary.
Amer earlier pleaded guilty to attempting to obstruct justice by assisting his friend paint a vehicle police were looking for in the Aug. 22, 2015, shooting death of David Quach.
According to a statement of agreed facts, a Honda Accord registered to Mohamed Al-Hamrany was used to transport convicted murderer Said Abdulbaki to and from the scene.
After police released a photo of the car, which was silver, but had a black driver’s side door, phone conversations between Amer and Al-Hamrany were intercepted.
In them, Amer told Al-Hamrany how to disguise the car to avoid police discovery and offered to assist in painting the car.
Police eventually seized the vehicle, which had been transported to a garage and painted black.
Yamauchi found there were several aggravating factors which justified a sentence higher than what the defence sought.
“Mr. Amer had a significant role in arranging for and facilitating the painting of the Honda,” he said.
“His moral blameworthiness is very high.”
But the judge also noted Amer’s relative youthfulness — he’s now 22 — and his lack of involvement in the killing of Quach weighed in his favour.
Quach was slain when a gunman approached him as he sat in his vehicle parked on California Blvd. N.E. and shot him seven times.
Abdulbaki was sentenced to life without parole for a minimum 10 years after pleading guilty in September to his role in Quach’s killing.
Abdulbaki admitted going there with the gunman to rob Quach, not knowing that he would be shot.
No one has been charged with being the actual shooter.