A 15-year-old boy who admitted to killing an elderly woman in Pickering, Ont., last year expressed remorse in court on Tuesday for the random attack, while both the Crown and defense attorneys agreed he should face the maximum youth sentence of 10 years.
An Oshawa, Ont., court learned that the boy repeatedly stabbed Eleanor Doney, an 83-year-old grandmother and retired kindergarten teacher, as she was tidying up her yard in May 2025, leaving her for dead.
When given a chance to speak, the boy, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, stood up in the wood-paneled prisoner’s box to apologize for the pain he caused to Doney’s family and the community of Pickering.
Dressed in a dark suit, he said he was “very sorry,” and mentioned that he wanted to learn from what he did.
Crown attorney Tammy D’Eri stated that Doney’s murder devastated her husband of 63 years, forcing him to leave their home for a long-term care facility. Doney was also a loving mother, friend and mentor who “so clearly lived out the teachings of her Christian faith,” according to the prosecutor.
The Crown maintained that the boy should receive a maximum youth sentence consisting of six years in custody and four years under conditional supervision within the community. The prosecutor noted that the boy still lacks understanding of why he committed such a crime.
Doney felt secure in her own yard on that spring afternoon before being approached by the boy, who was just 14 at the time when he struck up a conversation before launching his brutal attack, said the Crown.
Defense lawyer Erin Dann concurred that a maximum sentence of 10 years was fitting but suggested credit for the year already spent in youth detention could aid his rehabilitation while still holding him accountable.
That suggestion is not meant to downplay how serious this crime is, said Dann.
“By committing this inexplicably horrific offence, (the boy) brutally killed an elderly woman for no reason whatsoever while she was in front of her own home,” Dann stated.
Community members now feel unsafe either at home or when loved ones are biking nearby, she added.
Since he was in Grade 8 when he murdered Doney, Dann mentioned that this means he’ll never attend high school. By completing his sentence it will account for more than one-third of his life so far.
The judge is anticipated to announce sentencing on Wednesday.
“This is obviously a very significant and serious case, and I want to give it the attention it deserves,” Ontario Superior Court Justice Lisa Wannamaker remarked, noting she would spend several hours making her decision.
She acknowledged Doney’s family members present in court as well as those related to the boy and thanked them all for being there on Tuesday during proceedings.
“It’s not an enviable position for anyone in this courtroom to be in,” she commented.
This report by The Canadian Press was first July 14, 2026.
Elissa Mendes, The Canadian Press
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