Kathleen Panek, 35, has pleaded guilty to two counts of arson in connection with the burning of St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church on July 19, 2021 in the Whalley neighborhood of Surrey. He was also accused of entering Whalley’s Sunshine Housing Co-op on March 15, 2021 and setting fire to cartons outside a unit.
Read more: The sentence for the arsonist who set fire to the church of Surrey, BC, has been postponed. last year
Friday’s sentence matches prosecutors’ request for two years for each charge to be assessed successively, minus the time he has already served behind bars. Panek’s defense attorneys had sought a sentence of 18 months to two years, arguing that their client had pleaded guilty, apologized in court and showed remorse. The story goes on under the ad Panek has been in custody since her arrest on August 26, 2021. Panek was originally due to be sentenced in February, but the judge said he needed more time to consider the evidence before making a decision. 1:58 Surrey Church Destroyed in Suspicious Fire Surrey Church Destroyed in Suspicious Fire – July 19, 2021 The church’s church with about 300 families was displaced by the fire, which destroyed much of the building structure. Trending Stories
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Speaking outside Surrey court after the conviction on Friday, ecclesiastical council and ecclesiastical council member Medhat Elmasry said the judge’s decision “has no effect” on the church’s future. “Ultimately, the whole thing is so absurd that no one benefits from it,” he said. “It will be very difficult for us to rebuild. “So I really have no feelings for condemnation because it has no value.” The story goes on under the ad Elmasry said he attended the conviction “to find out why (Panek) did this”, but left without feeling the question had been answered.
Read more: Woman arrested for arson after fire destroys Surrey Orthodox Church
Security footage shows Panek lighting up the church’s front door decorations four days before the huge fire, according to a fact-finding statement read in court on Feb. 24 by Crown Prosecutor Mike Fortino. Fortino told the court that after her arrest, Panek admitted that she lit both church fires while she was upset due to an argument with her boyfriend. Her lawyers disputed this, arguing that Panek was under the influence of method and heroin. No evidence was presented in court to suggest that the burning was a hate crime. At the time of the fire in the church, the police had said that there was no evidence to prove that the arson is related to the heritage of residential schools in the province. – With records by Janet Brown and Elizabeth McSheffrey © 2022 Global News, part of Corus Entertainment Inc.
