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A 15-year-old boy who fatally stabbed a retired kindergarten teacher in Pickering last year apologized in court on Tuesday.
The teen, who was 14 at the time and who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April to the death of Eleanor Doney, 83.
He addressed a packed courtroom in Oshawa on Tuesday where he said he was “deeply sorry.”
“After months of reflection, I’ve come to comprehend how my actions have had an impact on the community,” he said.
The teen also said he “made a grave mistake, but I do not want that to define who I am.”
Doney was found with stab wounds outside a home on Lynn Heights Drive and Fairport Road in May 2025.
Community members placed flowers outside the home where an elderly woman was allegedly killed by a 14-year-old boy in Pickering on Thursday. CBC’s Talia Ricci explains what we know about the retired teacher.
The Crown and defence are jointly seeking a sentence of six years in custody, followed by four years under supervision in the community. It is the maximum sentence allowed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for youth convicted of first-degree murder.
The defence is seeking one year of credit for time already served, while the Crown said the teen should receive the full sentence without that credit.
Court heard on Tuesday that the Crown had initially filed notice to seek an adult sentence for the teen, but withdrew the application as it could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the teen had “adult-like maturity” at the time of the offence.
The judge said she is “cautiously optimistic” she will deliver her sentencing decision on Wednesday.
