Teen who pleaded guilty in Devan Selvey murder to be sentenced next month

The youth who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Devan Selvey will be sentenced on Feb. 25.

The matter was addressed Friday in a virtual Hamilton courtroom.

The teen, who was 14 when he stabbed 14-year-old Devan to death on Oct. 7, 2019, cannot be identified due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Hamilton courtroom on Nov. 8, 2021.

Justice Andrew Goodman will be sentencing the teen.

Selvey's murder sparked a national conversation on bullying after his mother, Shari-Ann Selvey, said her son was long the victim of bullies. His death prompted the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to launch a Safe Schools Review Panel looking at the issue of bullying. A final report released in January 2021 found bullying is a significant problem" in Hamilton, and participants reported a culture of fear" within the HWDSB where bullying is normalized."

According to an agreed statement of facts read aloud in court when the accused entered a surprise guilty plea in November, Devan and the teen did not know each other.

According to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, sentences for youth convicted of second-degree murder are not to exceed seven years, including not more than four years in custody either in a correctional or intensive rehabilitative setting, followed by conditional supervision in community.

The teen in the Selvey case has no criminal record and has been in custody since the day of the stabbing.

Katrina Clarke is a reporter at The Spectator. katrinaclarke@thespec.com