Send this page to someone via email TORONTO – The mother of a woman murdered by her husband after filing for divorce says her daughter endured more than a decade of domestic abuse at the hands of her spouse. Ana Fric says Mohammed Shamji had physically and sexually assaulted her daughter, Elana Fric Shamji, and also had extra marital affairs. Fric says she learned of the abuse after the birth of the couple’s first grandchild, when her daughter told her Shamji had assaulted her, threatened her life and the life of her baby. During the 12 years the abuse continued, Fric says she repeatedly urged her daughter to leave the marriage, but she refused to do so. Story continues below advertisement Fric Shamji, a respected family doctor, eventually decided in 2016 to divorce her neurosurgeon husband. Court heard that Shamji attacked his wife two days after she served him with divorce papers, breaking her neck and ribs and choking her to death as their three children slept nearby. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on the eve of his trial last month, and was sentenced today to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years. WATCH: Mohammed Shamji sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 14 years. Catherine McDonald reports. 2:47 Family says there is no justice for Dr. Elana Fric, their family and her children Family says there is no justice for Dr. Elana Fric, their family and her children – May 9, 2019 Fric, who revealed the details of the volatile marriage outside court after the sentence, says she hopes her daughter’s story will help other women in similar circumstances. Story continues below advertisement “I very much want to talk about Elana as to keep her memory alive but also want to talk about the domestic violence that she endured for 12 years before she died in the hope that other women in circumstances will realize that unless they have the courage to leave their partners at the early stage, they could suffer the same fate as Elana,” Fric said. Justice John McMahon, who presided over the case, called it another tragic instance of domestic homicide that he sees far too often. #Breaking 14 years parole ineligibility within the range. Not lenient nor too harsh. “It is for these reasons I’m satisfied the joint position proposed is both fair and just”. Dr Shamji is sentenced to life in prison and cannot be eligible to apply for parole for 14 years. — Catherine McDonald (@cmcdonaldglobal) May 9, 2019 “Three young children have lost their mother forever,” McMahon said. “Their father has now admitted, and (been) convicted to, killing their mother and sentenced to life in prison today.” McMahon credited Shamji for his last-minute guilty plea, which saved one of his daughters from testifying as a key witness at the trial. But he also condemned Shamji for the nature of the brutal murder at the couple’s home. “I recognize there is no evidence of planning. A heated argument led to the killing,” McMahon said. “The nature of the violence is extreme.” Joe Fric is angry talking about Shamji. They say he was never a father to the children. pic.twitter.com/vSAqwYpIW5 — Catherine McDonald (@cmcdonaldglobal) May 9, 2019 Advertisement<doc-sep>Share this Story: DOC WHO MURDERED WIFE: 'I should have killed myself' DOC WHO MURDERED WIFE: 'I should have killed myself' SunMedia Article content Dr. Mohammed Shamji told a packed courtroom Wednesday that he should have killed himself, instead of his loving wife, Dr. Elana Fric, at his emotional sentencing hearing. The murderer’s apology sparked Fric’s older distraught sister, Caroline Lekic, to loudly agree. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or DOC WHO MURDERED WIFE: 'I should have killed myself' Back to video “You should have (killed yourself),” replied Lekic, who dismissed her former brother-in-law’s apology as “bull****.” “I don’t believe it. He’s only sad because he got caught. That was a ploy,” Lekic told reporters outside court. “Why didn’t he plead guilty two years ago?” SunMedia Wednesday marked the first time Shamji — once a prominent neurosurgeon — spoke about his crime since he was charged with first-degree murder of his wife in December 2016. Shamji, 43, has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Dec. 1, 2016 slaying of Fric, 40. While the conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison, Justice John McMahon will determine his parole eligibility — 10 years to 25 years — on Thursday. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Shamji delivered his apology after his wife’s grieving family described the incalculable loss of Fric at his hands. “Somehow I turned my back on my oath and calling and took a life, Elana’s life,” said Shamji, who faced his wife’s family in court from the prisoner’s box. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or “It makes no sense to me. I don’t know how I could cause such pain and anguish,” he told court. “I should have killed myself and not Elana. That would have been the only justice. “Mine was the ultimate betrayal to a woman who gave so much to so many people, especially me. There have been no justifications or excuses for what I have done that has hurt so many people.” Shamji’s 12-year marriage was “volatile and dysfunctional, marred by reports of verbal, emotional and physical abuse of Elana. In May 2016, Elana started divorce proceedings against her husband, but he convinced her to give him another chance at improving himself, court heard. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The latest bid failed and Shamji was formally served with divorce papers on Nov. 28, 2016. Two days later, he beat her, broke her neck and choked her to death in their bedroom while their eldest child heard the awful violence from the next room. “There were signs early on that I was not a good partner or a good husband. I am surprised our marriage did not end sooner,” Shamji said. Shamji stared directly at Elana’s parents, Ana and Joseph — who have taken custody of his three children, Yasmin, 14, Faizi, 11, and Marius, 5 — and thanked them for raising his children in Windsor. More On This Topic MANDEL: Couple's marriage a facade; slain wife called it 'Fakebook' MANDEL: Toronto neurosurgeon pleads guilty in wife's murder WARMINGTON: Best friend says no justice for Elana Fric Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “I have devastated your lives,” Shamji told his children. “I have hurt you immeasurably. I hope that memory of your mother will help you be brave and supportive of each other as you navigate the terrible circumstances that I have created for you.” Elana Fric’s family shares their pain — “The nightmare that began on Dec. 1, 2016 when we drove to Toronto, fearing for our daughter, has never ended and will never end until the day I die:” Ana Fric, Elana’s mom. “I would have died except that her children have given me a purpose to live. I see my daughter in them every day.” –“The horror of having to identify my daughter after her brutal murder, when she was virtually unrecognizable, will haunt me forever:” Elana’s father, Joseph Fric. — “When the time comes, my nephew Marius, will be informed about you and what kind of a husband you were to his mother:” Elana’s sister, Caroline Lekic. — “My wife and I had absolutely no idea of the turmoil Elana was going through. We had trouble reconciling the fact that Mo, a person we considered family, could do such unspeakable things to Elana:” Marius’ godfather, Matthew Mountain. spazzano@postmedia.com Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Toronto SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of The Toronto Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>Share this Story: 'ONLY THINKING OF MONEY': Family of slain doctor says killer hubby tried to control from jail 'ONLY THINKING OF MONEY': Family of slain doctor says killer hubby tried to control from jail THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content A top Toronto neurosurgeon who murdered his physician wife was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years. “It’s a difficult juxtaposition between saving the lives of his patients and taking the life of his wife,” said Justice John McMahon as he passed sentence against Dr. Mohammed Shamji, 43. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or 'ONLY THINKING OF MONEY': Family of slain doctor says killer hubby tried to control from jail Back to video Shamji pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder in the vicious Nov. 30, 2016 slaying of his wife, Dr. Elana Fric, 40, at their home while their three children slept in their bedrooms. “Look at them,” Fric’s mom, Ana Fric, shouted at Shamji, referring to his three children in court, as he was handcuffed in the prisoner’s box. “You son of a b****.” Fric, praised as a wonderful mom, family physician and a rising star in the field of health policy, served Shamji divorce papers two days before the murder. Her parents, both Windsor auto workers, worked double shifts to support Elana as she studied medicine at Ottawa University where she met Shamji. He was the driven son of a surgeon father and psychiatrist mom from Ottawa. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The two were married in 2004, but their 12-year union was volatile and marred by Shamji’s emotional, psychological and, occasionally, physical abuse of his wife. “Elana endured 12 years of domestic violence,” said Elana’s mom, Ana Fric. “I also now know he had choked her during an argument until she was unconscious.” More On This Topic DOC WHO MURDERED WIFE: 'I should have killed myself' MANDEL: Couple's marriage a facade; slain wife called it 'Fakebook' In early 2016, after Fric learned that her husband had a lengthy affair, she vowed to end their marriage. He changed her mind. By that spring and summer, she realized their marriage was over. She started an affair with a Scarborough surgeon and served Shamji divorce papers. “She was legally entitled to end her unhappy marriage without fear of violence. She was robbed of a wonderful life yet to be lived,” said McMahon. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content A heated argument in their bedroom culminated in a prolonged, painful slaying. Fric was left unrecognizable to her own mom. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or On the night of the murder, her eldest daughter, then 11, awoke to loud screams and entered her parents’ bedroom. Shamji ordered his child back to her room. “I don’t know think there could be a worse scenario for a young person than to testify where her father has killed her mother,” said McMahon. Shamji degraded his wife’s body by concealing it in luggage and dropping it in the Humber River. He attempted to frame his wife’s lover, performing surgery the next day, said McMahon. The victim’s family lawyer advised Fric to leave the family’s home with her children when telling Shamji she was divorcing him. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Shamji tried to control his kids and wife’s estate from prison: Victim’s mom Jail bars didn’t stop wife-killer Dr. Mohammed Shamji from trying to control his children and the estate of his slain spouse, Dr. Elana Fric, according to the victim’s mother. “Even from behind bars, he was trying to remain in control, possibly trying to bankrupt us through court processes,” said Ana Fric Thursday in a statement. “Mo and his family probably spent $1 million on all court cases — money that Mo and his family could have given to the children for their future and their education,” said Fric. Fric’s family fought — and won — custody of their daughter’s three children and control of her estate in court battles that lasted 2 1/2 years. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Those legal bills were far beyond the Frics’ modest means. Toronto lawyer Jean DeMarco provided the services free to help the Windsor couple. Fric said Shamji was a domestic tyrant, who belittled and berated his physician wife — even in front of Fric. “He appeared to be concerned only with himself, his career and his money,” said Fric. He stockpiled money in his own name while his wife didn’t even have her own bank account, said Fric. The mom frequently told Elana to leave Shamji, but her daughter resisted, hoping things would improve. “For years, I had spoken to Elana on the phone almost every day. We spoke on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. I was overjoyed” she had decided to divorce Shamji, recalled Fric. When she couldn’t reach her daughter the next day, Fric and her husband, Joseph, drove to Toronto. After the murder, she heard Shamji complaining he just spoke to his lawyer “and this is going to cost me a lot of money.” “The thought that he was only thinking about money after having brutally murdered Elana and leaving the children without a mother still makes me sick,” said Fric. spazzano@postmedia.com Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Toronto SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address.<doc-sep>A Toronto judge has sentenced former neurosurgeon Mohammed Shamji to life in prison for the second-degree murder of his wife Dr. Elana Fric-Shamji, the mother of their three children who has been described by friends as an exceptional doctor. Shamji must serve 14 years in prison before he can first apply for parole, Justice John McMahon said Thursday morning. Shamji, who has been in custody since Dec. 2, 2016, will be eligible for parole in 11-and-a-half years. The 14-year period of parole ineligibility, which is in the middle of the usual range for domestic second-degree murders, “reflects the gravity of the violence in the domestic murder but also acknowledges the remorse and the plea of guilty and the positive antecedents of the accused,” McMahon said. The sentence was jointly proposed by the Crown and the defence. The brutal and painful way Fric-Shamji was murdered and Shamji’s admitted history of abuse against his wife were aggravating factors in the sentence, McMahon said. No one should be killed for leaving an abusive relationship, he said. By murdering his wife, Shamji also robbed the community of a talented doctor and their three children of their mother, he said. “The enormity of that loss will be felt by the children for the rest of their lives,” McMahon said. Ahead of Mother’s Day, instead of making cards and trinkets for their mother, they lay flowers on her grave,” he said. However, by pleading guilty and taking responsibility for his actions, Shamji spared his eldest daughter, now 14, the trauma of testifying at her father’s murder trial — though she did testify at his preliminary inquiry — and saved his children and his wife’s family “reliving this nightmare further,” McMahon said. He accepted that Shamji was remorseful based on his statements during the sentencing hearing. McMahon also noted Shamji was a highly skilled neurosurgeon who saved many of his patients’ lives through his work and had been “an important contributing member of our community” on a professional level. “It is a difficult juxtaposition between saving their lives and taking his wife’s life,” he said. He also has the support of his family, which improves his chances for rehabilitation and eventual reintegration into the community, McMahon said. Several members of Fric-Shamji’s family stood and looked directly at Shamji as he was handcuffed in the prisoner’s box. He will not be allowed to contact his children without their written consent. It will be up to the Parole Board of Canada to determine whether Shamji is released after he can apply, McMahon said. In a brief statement after the sentencing, Crown prosecutor Henry Poon said the case has been tragic and difficult. “For most people, regardless of what your sense of right and wrong or what your sense of justice is, the focus of any responsible resolution in this case should be squarely on the welfare of the children going forward,” he said. “That focus was reflected in the joint submission that was negotiated between responsible counsel and accepted by the judge today.” Outside the courthouse, Ana Fric read a lengthy statement outlining the domestic abuse her daughter endured for 12 years, “in the hope that other women in similar circumstances will realize that unless they have the courage to leave their partners, they could suffer the same fate.” Fric and her husband Joe, who stood nearby, both said while they don’t feel justice was served, they accept the outcome was in the best interests of the children. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... “In my heart, I will always believe that this was a premeditated act of first-degree murder. But I know that the law requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt and we do not have that proof and (Shamji) has not admitted it,” she said. Fric-Shamji’s friend Maggie Keresteci said more needs to be done to prevent intimate partner violence and support women in leaving abusive relationships. “If you know of someone who you suspect is being abused, or who tells you they are being abused, listen, really listen and then help them to act; to make a plan to leave and don't let it drop,” she said. “Elana's words when we voiced concern for her haunt me. She said "he wouldn't do anything that stupid.” He did and others will unless we say no more and unless we make sure people can safely leave.” Read more: Dr. Elana Fric-Shamji’s children lost their ‘champion,’ family and friends testify at killer’s sentencing Fric-Shamji murder case exposes dangers women face ending relationships, advocates say on eve of killer’s sentencing Opinion | Rosie DiManno: Shattered family’s grief on display at neurosurgeon’s bail hearing Shamji pleaded guilty last month, admitting to strangling his wife in their family home in November 2016, two days after she filed for divorce. In the days after he continued his normal routines, lying about his wife’s whereabouts and planting evidence to frame the man she had been having an affair with. At the end of his sentencing hearing Wednesday, Shamji stood in the prisoner’s box and spoke in court for the first time about what he’d done. “Somehow I turned my back on my oath and calling and took a life, Elana’s life. It makes no sense to me. I don’t know how I could cause such pain and anguish,” he said. “I should have killed myself and not Elana.” Myrna Dawson, a professor at the University of Guelph and leading researcher on domestic homicides, said the 14-year parole ineligibility period is in line with the average in cases where women have been murdered by intimate partners in the past several decades in Ontario. And while sentences have increased in recent years, her research shows there remains an “intimacy discount” when the sentences are compared to non-intimate murders, she said. “We have to ask ourselves what the sentence would have been if it had been a stranger who had beaten and choked a woman and stuffed her into a suitcase and disposed of her like garbage. Would he have gotten a plea? Would his sentence have been this low?”<doc-sep>
A disgraced Toronto neurosurgeon who murdered his physician wife just days after she filed for divorce more than two years ago was sentenced to life in prison Thursday and will not be eligible to apply for parole for 14 years. Mohammed Shamji, 43, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder in the death of Elana Fric, 40, a respected family doctor. Because he has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 2, 2016, Shamji will in fact be eligible to apply for parole in 11½ years. Ontario Superior Court Justice John McMahon said Thursday the case is yet another tragic instance of domestic homicide that he sees far too often. "[Fric] was robbed of a wonderful life yet to be lived," McMahon said in a Toronto court. Court heard Fric served her husband with divorce papers two days before he attacked her, broke her neck and ribs, and choked her to death as their three children slept nearby. Crown prosecutor describes 'tragic, difficult' Shamji case. CBC News 0:52 Crown prosecutor Henry Poon discusses the case of Mohammed Shamji, who was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years for murdering his wife Elana Fric. 0:52 Fric's body was found on Dec. 1, 2016, in a suitcase near an underpass in Vaughan, Ont., approximately 35 kilometres north of Toronto. Shamji was arrested at a coffee shop in Mississauga, west of the city, the following day. Fric died from strangulation and blunt-force trauma. Court heard the couple's marriage was volatile and included both physical and verbal abuse of Fric by her husband. Fric's mother told court at a sentencing hearing Wednesday that Shamji destroyed their entire family, leaving them heartbroken and angry. The Crown and defence had both asked the court to set the parole-ineligibility period for Shamji at 14 years. McMahon called that "fair and just." He also ordered that Shamji have no contact with the children or Fric's parents without prior consent. "Three young children have lost their mother forever," McMahon said. Avoiding a long trial in the Shamji case means the couple's children have a chance to start the healing process, officer says. CBC News 0:40 Detective Sgt. Andy Singh of the Toronto police hopes that by avoiding a long trial in the murder of their mother, the children of Elana Fric Shamji can begin the healing process. 0:40 McMahon credited Shamji for his last-minute guilty plea, which saved his young daughter from testifying as a key witness at the trial. But he also condemned Shamji for the nature of the murder at the couple's home. "I recognize there is no evidence of planning. A heated argument led to the killing," McMahon said. "The nature of the violence is extreme." Ana Fric speaks outside court Thursday as her husband, Joe, wipes tears from his eyes. Fric remembered her daughter as a devoted mother and doctor. (Lorenda Reddekopp/CBC) Outside court Thursday, Fric's mother, Ana, said "justice wasn't done today." In a long and emotional statement to reporters, Ana Fric detailed many instances of abuse against her daughter by Shamji, and said he'd had numerous affairs. She said she begged her daughter to leave Shamji, and was relieved that she had finally made that decision. "She felt worthless in his eyes," Fric said of her daughter's relationship with Shamji. Fric was asked if she had advice for women who found themselves in circumstances like her daughter's. "I would say leave them," she said. "Don't give them a second chance." Mother of Elana Fric mourns 'wonderful' daughter. CBC News 0:34 Ana Fric, the mother of Dr. Elana Fric. speaks about her daughter following the sentencing of Mohammed Shamji. 0:34 Fric described her daughter as the child any parent would want to have. "She was kind, she was generous. She was a lovely mother, a devoted mother." Fric's father, Joe, said he will have anger "in my chest" for the rest of his life. "I know how many lives he destroyed."