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Killer gets eight years for stabbing Surrey teen to death

Lekendric Martez Smith was 17 at the time, as was Sandhu.
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Jaylen Sandhu, 17, was stabbed to death in 2014 in Fleetwood. (Photo: Facebook image)

SURREY — The man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the 2014 stabbing death of Surrey teenager Jaylen Sandhu in Fleetwood has been sentenced to eight years in prison minus 13 months for time served awaiting trial

Lekendric Martez Smith was 17 at the time, as was Sandhu.

Smith received the adult sentence on July 5th in Surrey provincial court and the publication ban on his name was lifted after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He had originally been charged with second-degree murder. His sentence amounts to six years and 11 months.

“Even if he got 100 years, it’s not going to bring my son back,” said Danny Sandhu, the victim’s father.

“We needed some closure to move on to the next chapter of our lives, so” he said, and expressed relief his family had not been exposed to a trial and “horrific pictures.”

“There’s some details and stuff I did not want my family to go through,” he said.

Jaylen Sandhu was stabbed in the 16300-block of 88th Avenue on Dec. 18, 2014. He got away from his attacker, sought help from a resident nearby and was taken to hospital where he died.

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He had been set to graduate from Fleetwood Park Secondary School in the spring of 2015 and his family has launched a scholarship in his memory, the Jaylen Sandhu Dreams Foundation.

It provides an annual $1,000 scholarship to a student at Fleetwood Park.

The Jaylen Sandhu — Rest in Peace Facebook page pays tribute to “an amazing son, brother and friend.”

On it, one of Sandhu’s teachers remembered his “beautiful smile, playful humour, and lovely nature.”

He is survived by his mom, dad, older sister and two older brothers.

The next fundraiser for the scholarship will be held Aug. 27 in Guildford, with details to come closer to that date.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com



About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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