Latest news with #JonathanPinsky
Globe and Mail
04-07-2025
- Globe and Mail
Halifax man sentenced to life in prison for killing mother after dispute over video
A 41-year-old Halifax man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his mother after the two argued over the subtitles on a video she was watching. Jonathan William Pinsky pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April, admitting he experienced a 'fit of rage' when he punched and kicked his 71-year-old mother, before stabbing her neck. Court heard Pinsky attacked her on Oct. 1 of last year after she told him to leave their shared Halifax apartment for good. Pinsky later told police he thought his mother might have been angry because she had to 'yell too loudly to get [his] attention to turn on the subtitles on her DVD,' according to an agreed statement of facts presented to the court. 'After attacking her, he put her in the closet where he believed she was ... probably dying,' the statement says. 'He retrieved a knife and stabbed her in the neck, still in a rage.' The statement also says Pinsky had, at one point, attempted to smother the woman with pillows. Court heard that police were conducting a wellness check on Oct. 10, 2024, when they found the body of Delina Pinsky in a downstairs storage closet inside a condominium near Quinpool Road. The accused confessed to the crime within 12 hours of his arrest on Oct. 11, 2024. He had no criminal record before his conviction. Son charged with second-degree murder in death of 71-year-old woman in Halifax An obituary for Delina 'Lana' Pinsky described her as a 'beacon of grace and creativity.' It said her true passion was her work as the reading support coordinator for the North End Public Library in Halifax. 'For over three decades, Lana devoted herself to connecting children with free tutors and mentors, ensuring every young learner had a chance to thrive,' the obituary says. On Wednesday, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Josh Arnold handed Pinsky an automatic life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 10 years – the minimum allowable by law for a second-degree murder conviction. The offender was given credit for time served while awaiting sentencing, which amounts to 265 days. Crown and defence lawyers had jointly recommended the sentence that was imposed. A report prepared for the court said Pinsky's parents were divorced when he was five years old and he hadn't had any contact with his father for years. The report says Pinsky and his father had a difficult relationship. But it goes on to suggest Pinsky and his mother enjoyed a 'great living arrangement' until she lost her job two years ago. Before the murder, Pinsky worked full-time as a licensed dispensing optician for more than nine years. A co-worker described him as a diligent employee who was always on time. But the co-worker also described Pinsky as a 'quirky' man who was resistant to change and 'very childlike.' '[Pinsky] admitted using pot on a daily basis since the age of 16, however, does not view it as problematic,' the report says. 'Mr. Pinsky advised he 'absolutely' accepted responsibility [for the killing].' In a brief presented to the court, the Crown said Pinsky lived a 'fairly solitary life with his mother in a relationship which appears to have been somewhat codependent.' The Crown's brief suggests Pinsky's decision to kill his mother was spontaneous rather than planned. 'The Offender seems to have limited insight into his anger, however, stating that he 'learned to control it decades ago' by walking away,' the brief says. 'The motivation for the murder was the fact that the offender was being removed from Ms. Pinsky's home due to his inability to turn subtitles on as fast as she wanted. This seems to have been the final straw in a strained relationship rather than the sole cause of the offender's actions.'
CBC
03-07-2025
- CBC
Halifax man sentenced to life in prison for murdering mother in fit of rage
A 41-year-old Halifax man who murdered his mother in a fit of rage after she kicked him out of their shared condominium has been sentenced to life in prison. Jonathan William Pinsky pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April and was sentenced Wednesday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The conviction carries an automatic life sentence. Justice Joshua Arnold set parole ineligibility at 10 years, minus time served while on remand. That was jointly recommended by the Crown and defence. Pinsky was charged in October 2024 after the body of Delina (Lana) Pinsky, 71, was found in the storage area of the condo the mother and son shared on Quinpool Road in Halifax. In an agreed statement of facts read into the record in April, Jonathan Pinsky said he had come home on the evening of Oct. 1, 2024, to find his mother angry and yelling at him. He later told police he thought she was angry because she had to shout at him to turn on the closed captioning of a DVD she was watching. She ordered him to move out of the condo by 10 p.m. and refused to further discuss it with him. According to the statement, Pinsky flew into a rage and attacked his mother, punching her and kicking her in the midsection. He told police he believed she was "already probably dying" at that point, but he smothered her with a pillow and stabbed her in the neck before leaving her in the storage room covered with a sheet. On Oct. 9, his employer requested a wellness check because he had not been at work for more than a week. Police were let into the condo by the building manager, who reported an unpleasant smell. They saw what appeared to be a bloodstain on a wall and found Delina Pinsky when they opened the door to the storage room. Jonathan Pinsky was arrested on the evening of Oct. 11 after he was spotted by a coworker who called police. He told the arresting officer that the knife he'd used to stab his mother was at the bottom of his backpack. The next day, he gave a full confession to police. Delina Pinsky's obituary said she was "a beacon of grace and creativity," who had an impeccable sense of style and loved music and dancing. It said her true passion was her work as the reading support co-ordinator at the North End Public Library, where she helped connect children with free tutors and mentors for more than 30 years. "Her unwavering commitment touched countless lives, leaving a legacy of hope and opportunity that will endure for generations," her obituary said.
CTV News
02-07-2025
- CTV News
Halifax man to be sentenced for killing mother in ‘fit of rage' last year
A 41-year-old Halifax man is set to be sentenced Wednesday for killing his mother in a 'fit of rage' in October 2024. Jonathan William Pinsky pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on April 7. Quingate Place Quingate Place in Halifax is pictured on Oct. 11, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/Mike Lamb) Police were conducting a wellness check when they found the body of his mother, 71-year-old Delina Pinsky, in an apartment in the Quinpool Road area of Halifax on Oct. 10, 2024. According to an agreed statement of facts, Pinsky admitted to punching, kicking and stabbing his mother in the neck in a 'fit of rage' on Oct. 1 after she told him to leave the apartment for good following a disagreement. Pinsky told police he thought his mother was angry with him because she had to 'yell to get his attention to turn on the subtitles on her DVD' she was watching. According to the statement, Pinsky also 'briefly' attempted to smother her with pillows but it 'didn't work.' After she died, he covered his mother with a blanket and left the premises. Jonathan William Pinsky Jonathan William Pinsky, 41, is pictured. (Halifax Regional Police) Halifax Regional Police said they were looking for Pinsky, whom they called a 'person of interest' in the case. The court heard that a co-worker saw Pinsky on Oct. 11 and reported his whereabouts to police. He was arrested later that day and charged with second-degree murder in his mother's death. Pinsky has been in custody since his arrest. Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years. Delina Pinsky Delina "Lana" Pinsky is pictured in this photo taken from her obituary. (We Remember/ According to Delina 'Lana' Pinsky's obituary, she was the reading support coordinator at the North End Public Library, which was her 'true passion.' 'For over three decades, Lana devoted herself to connecting children with free tutors and mentors, ensuring every young learner had a chance to thrive,' reads the obituary. 'Her unwavering commitment touched countless lives, leaving a legacy of hope and opportunity that will endure for generations.' With files from The Canadian Press For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
