A 21-year-old man found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of a Markham woman last year has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Jiarui (Jerry) Tang was charged with manslaughter in September of 2016 in the death of 36-year-old Ying Chun (Annie) Li.
Li was reported missing in June of 2016 and investigators later deemed her disappearance as suspicious.
On Jan. 6, 2017, investigators were called to a park near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue after a passerby spotted what was believed to be human remains.
Following a post-mortem examination, police concluded that the body found in the park was Li.
Tang, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, was sentenced to seven years minus time served on Wednesday.
He will serve a total of six years and four-and-a-half months in prison.
A CP24 reporter inside the courtroom during the sentencing said the accused merely said, ‘I’m sorry about the death” when asked if he would like to make a statement.
The courtroom also heard a victim impact statement from Li’s brother who described the family’s devastation since her death.
Based on an agreed statement of facts presented at the sentencing, Tang did not have a girlfriend and often hired sex workers as escorts or sexual companions.
The judge heard that Li often met men on internet dating websites and, on occasion, worked as a sex trade worker to make extra money.
The documents indicate Li was “actively trying to meet a man that she could marry and with whom she could begin a family in Canada.”
Tang, according to the documents, hired Li on two or three occasions where he paid her $800 for sexual services at a hotel.
On the night that she was killed, Li met with Tang for dinner and a movie before going to his apartment.
Once there, Li told Tang she was pregnant, demanded he give her money and threatened to tell his mother if he didn’t.
According to the statement of facts, Tang admitted to retaliating and a struggle ensued. At some point, Tang held Li down with his elbow pressed against her neck with such force that it eventually caused her death.
It’s unclear if Li was in fact pregnant at the time of her death.
Defense lawyer John Rosen told reporters outside the courthouse Wednesday that judge sensed a lack of remorse in Tang but that his assistance in the investigation aided in his ruling.
“He took it as a young man with little experience who was introverted and suffering chronic pain,” he said. “It’s reflective of the person that he is and the problems that he has. It’s not that he didn’t feel badly about what happened, he did, and he certainly went on to assist the police and plead guilty. I don’t know what more you can expect.”
Though the Crown and defense agreed on a suggested sentence of seven years less pre-trial custody, Rosen said Tang, who is originally from China, will likely face deportation.
“Mr. Tang is a permanent resident, that’s his status. I expect that, under the Immigration Act, this conviction and sentence will ultimately result in his deportation back to China when he’s eligible for parole, whenever the parole board decides to deal with him,” he said.
