Man sentenced to life for killing pregnant Tunisian wife with 49 stab wounds in Montreal

MONTREAL — A court in Montreal, Quebec, on Tuesday sentenced a 45-year-old man to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to killing his pregnant Tunisian wife inside their home in January 2024.

The court ruled that Mustapha Khalil Mechken is not eligible for parole for 22 years, in connection with the killing of his wife, Narjess Ben Yedder, who was 32.

The sentence followed his guilty plea to second-degree murder at a hearing last week. Members of the victim's family attended the sentencing hearing and gave statements about the impact the crime has had on their lives.

Killing inside the couple's home

The crime took place on the morning of Jan. 26, 2024, when Ben Yedder was attacked with a knife while she slept in the couple's apartment in the Pointe-aux-Trembles area in the east end of Montreal.

The facts presented in court showed that the victim was 10 weeks pregnant with her first child when her husband attacked her with two kitchen knives.

Court reports indicated that she suffered 49 stab wounds, including 32 to the abdomen, according to information published by local media.

After the attack, the husband called 911 and told the operator that he had killed his wife, before police and paramedics arrived at the scene.

Paramedics tried to save the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene from her injuries.

Online searches before the killing

Evidence presented to the court showed that Mechken carried out online searches in the weeks before the crime on topics including depression, psychological exhaustion and the responsibilities of raising children.

The searches also included questions about inheritance and the legal penalties for committing murder.

According to media reports based on the facts presented in court, the man was anxious about becoming a father and about the financial obligations tied to buying a new home.

Search records also showed that he asked about the possible penalty for murder shortly before the crime.

However, these circumstances do not amount to a legal justification for the attack, and the court considered them as part of the evidence on the sequence of events and possible motives.

Guilty plea before trial

Mechken was initially charged with first-degree murder, and his jury trial was scheduled to begin on Nov. 3, 2026.

He instead pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, so the jury trial did not go ahead.

The Crown and the defence lawyer agreed to recommend a life sentence, with 22 years to pass before the convicted man becomes eligible to apply for parole.

The judge approved the sentence at Tuesday's hearing, concluding the stage of the case that determined criminal responsibility and punishment.

The sentence means the prisoner cannot apply for parole before the set period has passed. It does not mean he will automatically be released after 22 years.

Victim's family gives statements

Members of Ben Yedder's family attended the sentencing hearing and gave statements on the psychological and human impact of the crime.

Some of the victim's relatives had travelled from Tunisia to Canada to follow the court proceedings in a case that drew attention from Canadian and Tunisian media.

Canadian courts allow victims' families to present statements describing how a crime has affected their lives, as part of the sentencing process.

Judge Marc-André Blanchard had expressed sympathy for the family members at an earlier hearing, in response to the painful details the court heard.

What does a life sentence mean in Canada?

Under Canada's Criminal Code, a life sentence is imposed on people convicted of first-degree or second-degree murder, but the period of ineligibility for parole differs.

In second-degree murder cases, the court can set this period within the limits set by law, after considering the circumstances of the crime and the parties' recommendations.

The end of the set period does not guarantee release, since the application is subject to an independent assessment by the Parole Board of Canada.

With Tuesday's sentence, the court concluded a key stage in the case of Narjess Ben Yedder's killing, more than two and a half years after the crime that took her life while she was expecting her first child.