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Ethiopian man convicted of killing his Canadian girlfriend

Posted on by Elias Kifle

Witness Brady Allen describes how Arssei Hindessa pulled victim Natalie Novak’s hair and hit her in the temple, during Hindessa’s trial Tuesday, Feb. 10. 2009, in Toronto. (Sun Media/Pam Davies)

TORONTO, CANADA (NP) – The former boyfriend of a 20-year-old Ryerson University student was convicted this afternoon of her second-degree murder, to the shocked gasps of the victim’s family.

The jury acquitted Arssei Hindessa, 32-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia, of first-degree murder in the May, 2006, death of Natalie Novak.

“No. No,” Novak’s relatives cried out as the jury foreman read the verdict in a Toronto courtroom.

Hindessa had slit Novak’s throat, and stabbed her nine times. The jury deliberated for nearly six days.

Toronto police Detective Stacy Gallant read a statement from Novak’s family, which called on Premier Dalton McGuinty to do more to protect victims of domestic violence. The statement noted that more than 120 women were killed by their male partners between 2002 and 2006, according to provincial data.

“The war is not only in Afghanistan but in the homes of our friends and neighbours. Poisoned dogs generate more press and sympathy than women and children murdered by violent men,” said the Novak family.

Hindessa, an Ethiopian refugee, admitted to killing Ms. Novak, who is from Bracebridge, during his testimony this month. He claimed he was “drunk and paranoid” that night. As well he suggested to the Ontario Superior Court jury that Ms. Novak provoked an argument. “She tried to guilt-trip me,” said Hindessa, who was already under a restraining order because of previous assaults against Ms. Novak.

Crown attorney Mary Humphrey told the jury last week in her closing submission that the killing was “planned and deliberate” by Hindessa.

“Mr. Hindessa is a liar and a manipulator. Please don’t be conned by him,” said Ms. Humphrey, who suggested jealousy was the
motive.

Defence lawyer Aston Hall urged the jury to come back with a manslaughter verdict, suggesting his client had a diminished mental state the evening he killed Ms. Novak.

The jury heard medical evidence Hindessa was delusional and paranoid and may sufferer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of being tortured while imprisoned in Ethiopia.

“This is a tragedy all over,” said Mr. Hall outside court after the verdict. “A young woman lost her life. Clearly her family is in pain.”

The verdict was delivered by 11 jurors. The twelfth juror was dismissed yesterday morning after court staff observed her acting erratically. A family member informed the court she had a history of mental illness.

A second-degree murder conviction results in an automatic life sentence, with parole eligibility set between 10 and 25 years.

Six jurors recommended parole ineligibility be set at 25 years. Four others recommended 20 years. The other juror said 15 years.

The recommendations are not binding on Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy.

She will hold a sentencing hearing in May to determine how much time in prison Hindessa must serve before he can apply for parole.

– By Shannon Kari | National Post

10 thoughts on “Ethiopian man convicted of killing his Canadian girlfriend”

  1. its really getting amazing, I am sorry that now we Ethiopians have officially declared that we are really infamous of murdering the opposite sex, God forgive us, I think, virtual sex will be the safest practice for Ethiopians from now on since its getting really scary to have a girlfriend for man and scary for the girls to have boyfriends,

  3. They should given him life and let me rot in jail. This sob will burn in hell. He killed her because he was drunk and scared? What is that? I want to know what else he was doing or did back home before he came here. May be he did the same barbaric crime there unchecked either in a town he came from or somewhere in the bushes he might have been aimlessly wondering. Someone must check out his background. May be he has blood stains of innocent people in his hands even before he came to Canada. In any case, the jury is sending a wrong message. I hope someone will give him the ultimate judgment in prison. I don’t believe for a moment that he was tortured in Ethiopia. He lied then and he lied now even after murdering his girlfriend in cold blood. His post-dramatic syndrome may have been from barbaric crimes he might have committed in Ethiopia.

  4. ገዳዩን አውቀዋለሁ: አባቱ ኦነግ ሆኖ ስንት ሰው ካስገደለ ቦሃላ ደርግ ነው የገደለው:ክንፈ ሂንዲሳ ይባላል:: ልጁ ያደገው ሰንጋተራ ሲሆን ሃሽሽ ማጬስ የጀመረው ገና በልጅነቱ ነበር:: ወንድሞቹ ሁሉም ያጬሳሉ: አንድ ወንድሙ አማሪካ ነው ያለው: የቤተሰቡ ችግር ሃሽሽ ነው::ኣዲስ ኣበባ እያለ የሰው ነፍስ ከርቶ ምንም ሊያደርግ ይችላል::

  7. To #3 Gabra: Did you lie to come to the West? Could it be that you are projecting your behavior? Some of you put jealousy as the cause. If that is the case there must be a provocation to cause jealousy. Who provoked?

  8. tadios#4 I agree with you 100% Chenkelatu normal yehone sewe enkonese yemewodewen sewe kerto teneshi nebese yalateneme zenbe eyegeleme. When there is hasehe involved there is always a crime even to these days a cross the border from California.In Mexico these drug addict Massacre its own poor people every day with no reason at all,Its totally out of control in there, where as on the other hand the other Mexican worked so hard in the usa to support its familes. We Ethiopian should work hard and stay a way from Drugs and support our families and be the ambassador to our beloved Country.
    My advise to all my sisters especially know who you are being with Investigate do back ground check as well and know the person past back grouds that might save your life.
    May god be with us I hope this bad news will be the last one!

  9. No provoking deserves a brutal murder… plus i knew her and she was far from malicious. its a total tragedy, and he’s not even worth thinking about with animosity. he’s not even a human being as far as im concerned. I can’t even believe he has a mouth to speak with or legs to walk with. eveil in disguise.

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