Sammy Yatim's parents say son received justice after sentencing, but nothing will bring him back
Const. James Forcillo received six-year sentence, but is appealing conviction
The parents of Sammy Yatim say a six-year sentence for his shooting death represents justice for their son, but they say no amount of jail time can ease their pain or bring their child back.
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Const. James Forcillo, convicted of attempted murder in Yatim's death, was sentenced to six years on Thursday, but has launched an appeal of his conviction and is seeking bail as it moves through the courts.
A decision is expected on Friday morning.
Outside court, Yatim's mother, Sahar Bahadi, said she and her family will attempt to "put the pieces of our life back together."
But, she said, "our lives will never be the same.
"Sammy will never be coming back to us. But I want you to know I want him back."
Reading from a prepared statement, Bahadi said the Yatim family will consider ways to honour the teen's memory.
"It is our hope that no other family will have to suffer this unbearable pain. Sammy was a good boy and his life was not only a few minutes on a streetcar. I miss my son dearly, but I am pleased that today he received justice."
'It can't bring our son back'
When asked if the sentence was what he had expected, Yatim's father, Bill Yatim, responded: "There's no time that is good enough. You can't get your son back."
Bahadi echoed that sentiment.
"Even if it's 100 years it can't bring our son back," she said.
This week marked the third anniversary of Yatim's death. Asked how he marked the day, the elder Yatim said: "I sat down and stared at the wall for a while, if you want to know, thinking about what if this happened, what if that happened. All the 'ifs' so we don't have to be here."
Yatim said he has great faith in the justice system, and understands that there will be a lengthy appeal process.
"It will be a very difficult time," he said. "This is the first leg of the journey."
While Yatim's mother suggested that there was justice in Forcillo's sentence, his father said "yes and no."
He doesn't think Forcillo should be walking the streets, and was disappointed that he has not expressed remorse for the shooting.
"What he did was wrong and he should have admitted it," Yatim said.
Bahadi also hoped for remorse from Forcillo.
"That hurt a lot. He destroyed our family, he destroyed our life."
Asked if she's angry, she replied: "I'm always angry. Since I lost my son, I'm always angry. I have screams inside me and I have to control myself. It's a very big loss, a disaster for us."