Jurors in Sharif trial begin their final deliberations
The jury that will decide Abdulahi Hasan Sharif ’s fate has begun its deliberations.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Paul Belzil delivered his instructions to the jury Thursday, reading his prepared charge in just under an hour. He reminded the jury that Sharif, 32, enjoys the presumption of innocence unless they find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sharif is charged with 11 crimes, including five counts of attempted murder, four of flight from police causing bodily harm, one of aggravated assault and one of dangerous driving. He is accused of striking Const. Mike Cherynk with his car, stabbing him, and later ramming four pedestrians while fleeing police in a U-haul truck.
Jurors heard from more than 40 Crown witnesses over the course of the three-week trial, including Chernyk and the four pedestrians.
Sharif sat in the prisoner box wearing a black sweater on Thursday. He appeared to read a paper copy of the jury instructions, which had earlier been translated into Somali.
Sharif represented himself at trial and declined to testify or cross-examine any of the Crown witnesses. Belzil told the jury those facts are “completely irrelevant” when it comes to deciding Sharif’s guilt or innocence.
Jurors stayed in a hotel overnight and were expected to continue deliberations on Friday.
The 2017 case made international news after police said they were investigating “acts of terrorism.” However, no terrorism-related charges were ever laid, and the word “terrorism” was not uttered once during the trial. An ISIS flag spotted in the car that struck Chernyk — later confirmed by police — was not entered as evidence.
At a counter-terrorism forum in Melbourne last year, former Edmonton city police chief Rod Knecht told an Australian newspaper that Sharif had an encrypted device which they were not able to access.