Judge affirms jury verdict despite acknowledged difficulties
A Vaughan man found guilty only on firearms offences in the death of a woman has been sentenced to six years in prison. The decision was delivered in Superior Court by Justice Suhail Akhtar, who said he struggled to reconcile the jury's not-guilty finding on the more serious charges with the facts in the case but felt bound to respect the verdict.
The defendant, Harold Santana Simon, sat quietly in the prisoner’s box as members of the victim’s family watched proceedings. Several family members wore pins bearing the face of Makayla Roxburgh‑Carpino with purple ribbons attached. Shortly after the sentence was handed down, many relatives left the courtroom in distress; a voice in the room shouted, “You’re a coward, a woman abuser, a monster. Rot in hell.”
“While I confess that this verdict is in many ways very difficult to reconcile with the evidence, the jury verdict must be respected,”
According to the Crown’s account at trial, the events unfolded on May 11, 2024, at an apartment on Northcliffe Boulevard near Eglinton Avenue West. The Crown said Simon entered the apartment without invitation using a key he had previously been given. Earlier that day, the Crown said, Simon had a dispute with his girlfriend, Sentoree Kamara, because he believed she was seeing other men.
Prosecutors say Roxburgh‑Carpino was asleep in Kamara’s bed when Simon woke both women and demanded Roxburgh‑Carpino leave the room. The Crown described a scuffle during which a firearm belonging to Simon was discharged, and alleged he left the bedroom before returning with a gun, placing it to Roxburgh‑Carpino’s head and shooting her.
Defence account: an accidental discharge
Simon testified at trial that the shooting was an accident. He acknowledged the firearm belonged to him and said he had brought it to the apartment on an earlier occasion for self‑protection. In his testimony, he said Kamara had found the loaded, cocked gun and pointed it at him; he said he tried to take it away from her and it accidentally discharged, killing Roxburgh‑Carpino.
The differing accounts left the jury to weigh intent and credibility. While jurors cleared Simon of murder, the guilty verdicts related to firearms offences remained, leading to the six‑year sentence imposed by Justice Akhtar.
Community reaction and courtroom scene
The sentencing produced a strong emotional reaction from the victim’s family and others present. Dozens of relatives and supporters were in the gallery and many left immediately after the ruling. The courtroom outburst underscored lingering tensions and the community’s demand for clarity and accountability in a case that has drawn local attention.
- Defendant: Harold Santana Simon
- Victim: Makayla Roxburgh‑Carpino
- Date of incident: May 11, 2024
- Sentence: Six years (firearms offences)
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 11, 2024 | Shooting at Northcliffe Boulevard apartment |
| May 2024 (trial) | Simon acquitted of murder but convicted on firearms charges |
| Sentencing date | Six-year prison term imposed by Justice Suhail Akhtar |
The case highlights several issues of local concern: the presence of firearms in domestic settings, the legal threshold for different criminal charges, and the way jury decisions can diverge from judicial impressions of the evidence. For Vaughan residents, the matter resonates not only because it involved people who lived in the city, but because it underscores the broader challenge courts face when evidence and legal standards produce split outcomes.
As the appeal period and any subsequent legal steps remain possible, the family of the deceased and the Vaughan community are likely to follow developments closely. The sentencing leaves unresolved questions for many who attended the trial and for residents seeking assurance about public safety and the administration of justice in their city.
