Dadshani to likely appeal 15-year sentence in Midway killing

Family and lawyers representing the only man convicted of killing an Ottawa man at the Midway Family Fun Park in 2003 said he will appeal a 15-year prison sentence handed down Wednesday morning.

Wahab Dadshani, 31, will serve five more years in prison after being given credit for already spending nearly six years in custody.

Dadshani was found guilty of manslaughter in May for the death of Charbel Chaar, 26, who was stabbed with a sword several times after being attacked by a group of men on Sept. 4, 2003.

Mark Ertel, one of Dadshani's defence lawyers, had argued he should be released immediately.

And Dadshani's brother expressed bewilderment at the sentence while briefly speaking to reporters outside the Elgin Street courthouse.

"Considering all the facts of the case and the jury's decision ... I was sure that (the sentence) was going to be time served," said Tawab Dadshani. "The judge has basically given a sentence for a homicide.

"This is not a homicide. So we'll appeal this. It's very disappointing."

The five other men charged in Chaar's killing were acquitted of first-degree murder. Only Dadshani was convicted by a jury for the lesser manslaughter charge.

A Midway surveillance video showed Chaar being followed inside. He was stabbed with a sword and suffered a gash to his stomach; three near-severed fingers; a cut to the back of his head; black eyes; a broken nose; and numerous hacks and slashes to his wrist, which severed an artery and fractured a bone.

The footage then showed two men leaving the scene, including Dadshani.

During the course of the trial, the Crown alleged the men were part of a rival gang that had planned to ambush Chaar.

Dadshani, who fired his defence lawyer early in the trial, took on the task of representing himself.

He told the court he acted in self-defence when he wielded the sword that killed Chaar.

Dadshani argued he didn't go to the family fun park to kill Chaar. Rather, he said Chaar was going to kill him and his friends, if he didn't take actions to defend himself.