OTTAWA — A man who pleaded guilty to killing a mother, her four children and a family friend in a mass stabbing in Ottawa in 2024 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.

Febrio De-Zoysa pleaded guilty Thursday to four counts of first degree murder, two counts of second degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

Darshani Ekanayake, 35, and her four children, Inuka, 7, Ashwini, 4, Ranaya, 3, and Kelly, a baby just two months old, were all killed in the attack.

Gamini Amarakoon, 40, a family friend, was also killed, while the children’s father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, was injured.

Justice Kevin Phillips called it one of the worst crimes in the city’s history, telling De-Zoysa he destroyed “two beautiful families” and shook the community

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