Nearly seven years after a 13-year-old girl was found dead in a Burnaby park, sentencing dates have been set for the man convicted of her killing.
A jury found Ibrahim Ali guilty in December of first-degree murder in the death of the girl, whose body was found in Central Park on July 18, 2017.
The girl's name is protected by a publication ban.
Ali now faces a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
At a hearing in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Friday, the court set aside two days for his sentencing: June 7 and 10.
But the hearing is expected to take only one day, according to Justice Lance Bernard.
The Crown had intended to set dates as early as the end of April, but the sentencing had to be pushed back because of interpreter availability.
Ali's lawyer, Kevin McCullough, requested earlier this week that Ali be allowed to attend his sentencing remotely for safety reasons.
McCullough had previously told the court that the victim's father had brought a gun to court on the day Ali was convicted.
While no charges were laid, the father was issued a five-year weapons ban in a Surrey court this month after two licensed guns were seized from his home.
The Crown is opposed to Ali attending remotely.
"The Crown is of the view that he should be here in person," prosecutor Isobel Keeley told the court Friday.
Bernard said he would make a ruling on the issue before the sentencing hearing.
Members of the slain girl's family, including her brother and father, are expected to present victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing, according to Keeley.
With files from the Canadian Press.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
Email [email protected]
