Patrick Smith convicted of Dashti murder

Updated Jurors have delivered a guilty verdict in the 2010 murder of Elham Dashti.

The jury deliberated from about 11 o’clock this morning until just past four o’clock this afternoon. When they came back the courtroom filled up with homicide detectives and courthouse staff, all waiting to hear the verdict. As soon as the jury said guilty of first degree murder Mo Dashti, Elham’s husband, started sobbing.

Dashti testified early in the trial that he and his wife Elham owned High Times on King Street East, and she called him to come take over for her at the store on May 25, 2010. When he arrived 45 minutes later, she was already dead and a police officer answered his knock at the back door.

During the trial we heard how Smith cased out stores on King Street for hours until deciding High Times would be easiest to rob because Dashti was alone and there were no cameras. When he couldn’t lure her away from the till though, he grabbed her in a sleeper hold, dragged her downstairs, strangled her with her head scarf and beat her with his fists and feet until she stopped moaning.

Court heard that Smith felt guilty, especially on hearing Dashti was pregnant. He confessed eight months later after his girlfriend turned him in.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the jury found he knew that Dashti was likely to die from the beating he gave her.

Lisa Hepfner talked with Mohammed Dashti.