Halifax man sentenced to life in prison for murdering mother in fit of rage

Nicola Seguin · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 03, 2025 3:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 3

A 41-year-old Halifax antheral who murdered his parent successful a acceptable of rage aft she kicked him retired of their shared condominium has been sentenced to beingness successful prison.

Jonathan William Pinsky pleaded guilty to second-degree execution successful April and was sentenced Wednesday successful Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The condemnation carries an automatic beingness sentence.

Justice Joshua Arnold set parole ineligibility astatine 10 years, minus clip served portion connected remand. That was jointly recommended by the Crown and defence.

Crown lawyer Samantha Allen said it is simply a "fit and due sentence" for Pinsky.

"The circumstances astir the offence are surely tragic and unjustified, but successful considering Mr. Pinsky's background — including the information that helium did not person immoderate anterior transgression grounds and his co-operation with the constabulary and his aboriginal acceptance of work and blameworthy plea successful this matter — I do think it is the due sentence," Allen told CBC News.

Pinsky was charged successful October 2024 aft the assemblage of Delina (Lana) Pinsky, 71, was recovered successful the retention country of the condo the parent and lad shared connected Quinpool Road successful Halifax.

In an agreed connection of facts work into the grounds successful April, Jonathan Pinsky said helium had travel location connected the evening of Oct. 1, 2024, to find his parent aggravated and yelling astatine him.

He aboriginal told constabulary helium thought she was aggravated due to the fact that she had to shout at him to crook connected the closed captioning of a DVD she was watching.

She ordered him to determination retired of the condo by 10 p.m. and refused to further sermon it with him.

According to the statement, Pinsky flew into a rage and attacked his mother, punching her and kicking her successful the midsection. He told constabulary helium believed she was "already probably dying" astatine that point, but helium smothered her with a pillow and stabbed her successful the cervix earlier leaving her successful the retention country covered with a sheet.

On Oct. 9, Pinsky's leader requested a wellness cheque due to the fact that helium had not been astatine enactment for much than a week. Police were fto into the condo by the gathering manager, who reported an unpleasant smell.

They saw what appeared to beryllium a bloodstain connected a partition and recovered Delina Pinsky erstwhile they opened the doorway to the retention room.

Jonathan Pinsky was arrested connected the evening of Oct. 11 aft helium was spotted by a coworker who called police. He told the arresting serviceman that the weapon he'd utilized to stab his parent was astatine the bottommost of his backpack. The adjacent day, helium gave a afloat confession to police.

"On the scope of seriousness ranging from precise egregious, sadistic torture-based things, it doesn't autumn into that category," Allen said of Pinsky's actions. "But I surely bash not privation to downplay the seriousness of the unit utilized here."

Delina Pinsky's obituary said she was "a beacon of grace and creativity," who had an impeccable consciousness of benignant and loved euphony and dancing. 

It said her existent passionateness was her work as the speechmaking enactment co-ordinator astatine the North End Public Library, wherever she helped link children with escaped tutors and mentors for much than 30 years.

"Her unwavering committedness touched countless lives, leaving a bequest of anticipation and accidental that volition endure for generations," her obituary said.