Card 001: breach of the law “same crime, same sentence” — hiring a "hitman" (an undercover police officer) to kill a spouse · Ontario · he — 6 years, she — 3.5 years

hiring a "hitman" (an undercover police officer) to kill a spouse · Ontario · 2010 / 2014 · he — convicted, 6 years; she — convicted, 3.5 years.

Each of them wanted their spouse dead and hired a hitman to do it. Both times the "hitman" was an undercover police officer. Both cases are from Ontario.

He put up the money to have his wife killed. The motive, according to the court, was to avoid paying in the divorce. Sentence: 6 years.

She gave the "hitman" a down payment, photos and her husband's daily routine, and told him to shoot her husband. The officer gave her a phone number so she could change her mind; at the second meeting she confirmed the order. The Crown itself asked for 3–4 years for her. Sentence: 3.5 years.

Details: both decisions, the law, what happened after

He

Case: R. v. Terpstra
Citation: 2011 ONCA 500
Court: Court of Appeal for Ontario; sentence imposed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, jury, 28.06.2010
Date of decision: 2011-07-05
Charge: counselling murder and conspiracy to murder his wife
Outcome: convicted
Sentence: 6 years
Facts: A joint plan to hire a hitman; the hitman was an undercover police officer. Motive: avoid paying in the divorce; he supplied the money (paras. 1, 4).
Decision: https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2011/2011onca500/2011onca500.html

She

Case: R. v. Tokhi
Citation: 2014 ONSC 3142
Court: Ontario Superior Court of Justice, judge alone; conviction — 2014 ONSC 1220
Date of decision: 2014-06-10
Charge: counselling the murder of her husband
Outcome: convicted
Sentence: 3.5 years
Facts: Hired a hitman who was an undercover police officer; down payment, photos, her husband's routine, told him to shoot; confirmed the order at the second meeting. The Crown asked for 3–4 years (paras. 2, 3, 7).
Decision: https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc3142/2014onsc3142.html
Conviction: https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc1220/2014onsc1220.html

Law

same crime, same sentence — Criminal Code s. 718.2(b) — https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-718.2.html
everyone is equal before the law and the courts — Charter s. 15 — https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-12.html
the same rights for men and women — Charter s. 28 — https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-12.html

After

He appealed his sentence; the Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld the 6 years. No appeal decision in her case is on CanLII (checked 17.10.2026). — https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2011/2011onca500/2011onca500.html

Machine version: /api/v1/001.json · added 2026-10-17