Toronto man Mark Moore sentenced to life in prison for murder of 4 men

A Toronto man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering four men in 2010 allegedly to advance his rap career.

Last month Mark Moore, 31, was charged in the shooting deaths of Carl Cole, 45, Jahmeel Spence, 27, Courthney Facey, 18, and Mike James, 23.

All of the killings took place in a 75-day span in the fall of 2010.

During the trial, the Crown put forward the idea that that part of the motivation behind the killings was Moore’s desire to further his rap career.

“Some of his rap lyrics – which were introduced as evidence – talked about him, in his words, being able to ‘shake the streets,’” homicide Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga said outside the courtroom on Saturday. “During a couple of the murders that’s what he looks like he was trying to do, earn himself some credibility and shake the streets.”

Before the sentence was handed down, nine emotional victim impact statements were read in court by family members of all four victims.

Dorothy Cole said her husband Carl was “gunned down by a cold-hearted, gutless soul.”

Shevon Clarke, the fiancé of Jahmeel Spence, told the court “I lost the love of my life. We were madly in love with each other.”

When Moore addressed the court, the victim’s families start to file out one by one.

The judge called Moore “Mr. Murder” three times last month while instructing the jury ahead of its verdict decision.

The defence did not object to judge calling Moore “Mr. Murder” because the judge corrected himself each time he did it.

“Hopefully it didn’t telegraph to the jury what he actually thought,” Defence lawyer Peter Zaduk said to CityNews.

Moore said he felt he didn’t receive fair treatment from Justice Michael Dambrot during the trial, stating “justice has not been served” and that “I have no choice but to appeal these verdicts.”

While delivering the sentence on Tuesday, Dambrot said Moore was “morally depraved” and called him “a monster who has no heart.”

Moore was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

He is currently serving 12 years for a jewelry heist.

Read Justice Dambrot’s sentence below:

Justice Michael Dambrot's sentence in Mark Moore murder trial. CITYNEWS/Marianne Boucher

Justice Michael Dambrot's sentence in Mark Moore murder trial. CITYNEWS/Marianne Boucher

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