Judge slams Zack's killers for taking 'great pleasure' reliving brutal beating
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Two men who killed promising music journalist and photographer Zack Noureddine “took great pleasure in reliving” their senseless acts of violence, a judge says.
Patrick Smith, 29, who was convicted of second-degree murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 12 years while his co-accused killer, Matthew Moreira, 34, was jailed for 13 years for manslaughter and for the robbery of Zack’s pal Mitchell Conery.
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“Zack Noureddine’s death was the result of a premeditated and vicious beating. He was a young man to whom life promised much and who himself offered much to life,” Justice Suhail Akhtar said, as he passed sentence on the two men for the 25-year-old’s killing.
“The only reason he came face to face with Mr. Smith and Mr. Moreira on Dec. 29, 2015, was because he had generously chosen to give his time and effort to encourage his friend and mentee Mitchell Conery.”
While Noureddine and Conery were walking to their car in midtown Toronto, Smith, Moreira and another assailant — a third man has been charged in connection with Noureddine’s death and will go on trial in the fall — headed towards the two men and attacked them without reason or warning, said Akhtar.
While they didn’t know the severe beating would kill Noureddine, “they knew what they had seen, Noureddine on his knees, gasping for air, begging for mercy as blow and kick upon kick rained down on him,” said Akhtar. “This was what was being celebrated in the elevator (when they returned to their apartment afterwards).”
Noureddine was being pummeled with such force that shocked onlookers “believed that he was going to die,” said Ahktar.
When the bystanders rushed to Noureddine’s aid, his assailants fled.
“This was Mr. Moreira’s and Mr. Smith’s source of pride and pleasure,” said Akhtar. “They took great pleasure in reliving their act of battering and brutalizing two complete strangers”
“Nothing I can do will ever alleviate Mr. Noureddine’s family of the suffering which they will endure for the rest of their lives,” the judge added.
A jury convicted Smith and Moreira were convicted in December 2018.
“Zack is still alive to us in our hearts and in our memories,” Noureddine’s dad Hassan, a software engineer and father of three sons, said afterward. “Lots of his organs, his heart, lungs … live in other people. He was an organ donor and he inspired others in our neighbourhood to become organ donors.
“Zack was the popular, outgoing kid in high school and after, always willing to help others,” said Zack’s cousin Sanah Al-Arab, who attended A. Y. Jackson high school in Kanata with Zack. “I was the quiet one. People would tell me how lucky I was to be his cousin. We’re the same age.”
“Zack died on the day of my birthday. We grew up together, played soccer and basketball,” said an emotional Al-Arab, now 28. “He had this loving aura. he attracted everyone. He was smart, thought outside the box, a go-getter.”
“He always said ‘Don’t over-think things. Just do it,'” Al-Arab said.
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