Excerpt:
Upon sitting in the witness box, metres away from her son who stands accused of killing her daughter and daughter's fiance, Nasima Fayez started to cry.
Overcome by emotion, she covered her face with her hands and tissue, before composing herself and testifying about a broken home, allegedly abusive husband, Afghan roots and the relationship between her son, Hasibullah Sadiqi, and daughter, Khatera Sadiqi.
The court has heard that Hasibullah Sadiqi shot his 20-year-old sister and Mangal with a .44 Magnum revolver while they sat in a parked car at the Elmvale Acres shopping plaza, at St. Laurent Boulevard and Smyth Road, just before 1 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2006. Sadiqi, 23, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
The Crown contends there will be evidence that the slaying was an honour killing rooted in anger over their engagement, while Sadiqi's defence lawyers do not deny that Sadiqi is responsible for the deaths, but are expected to advance the argument of provocation, which could reduce a murder charge to manslaughter if certain conditions are met.