As a jury deliberates whether Ian Albert Ohab murdered Melissa Cooper, details of his criminal history, including the forcible confinement of a woman at knifepoint for two days and harassment of a woman who lived next-door, can now be published.

The Crown argues Ohab murdered Cooper, 30, in the early hours of April 15, 2016, after he lured her into his apartment at 220 Oak St. by offering her the use of a crack pipe. Ohab claims Cooper overdosed and he chose, in a panicked desire for her not to be found in his apartment, to dismember her body and scatter her remains around the city.

The jury at Ohab’s trial began deliberations Wednesday.

Ohab, 41, was initially on trial for first-degree murder. During the trial, Superior Court Justice Suhail Akhtar downgraded the charge to second-degree murder at the request of the defence because there was no evidence presented of sexual assault or forcible confinement.

While the jury heard Ohab has a criminal record that includes robberies, drug trafficking and assaults, it did not hear the details of those offences, including that he was accused of harassing, stalking and sexually assaulting his neighbour in 2009 and 2010.

He was convicted of criminal harassment in that case.

The Crown was also not permitted to tell the jury about one of his previous convictions — the knifepoint forcible confinement and assault of a woman in the same downtown apartment where Cooper died. The Crown sought to introduce that case as similar-fact evidence, but was denied because it was too prejudicial for the jury to hear.

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At the time of Cooper’s death, Ohab was on probation for that conviction and for assaulting a peace officer.

According to a court transcript from the forcible-confinement case, Ohab pleaded guilty to assaulting and confining the woman in March 2013.

Aneta Famula, Ohab’s girlfriend who died of an overdose in January 2016, pleaded guilty to assault and to stealing property from the woman.

The woman went to Ohab’s apartment with a friend, according to the agreed statement of facts in the case. The pair partied with Ohab and Famula, doing drugs and drinking. At some point, the woman’s friend left, and when she tried to follow suit, Ohab picked up a knife and blocked her path out.

Ohab and Famula held the woman in the apartment for two days while he demanded money, according to the agreed statement.

“He would kill her if she did not pay or have Ms. Famula do it while he watched. During this conversation Mr. Ohab brandished a knife and a baseball bat,” the agreed statement of facts states.

“The victim became scared and felt as though she could not leave without her life being at risk. She tried to negotiate with Mr. Ohab.”

Security video presented in court at the murder trial of Ian Albert Ohab shows Ohab, left, meeting Melissa Cooper in an elevator at 220 Oak St. on April 15, 2016, the last day she was seen alive. (Credit: Ontario Superior Court exhibit)

The woman tried to convince Ohab that her father would bring money, according to the agreed statement. Eventually, Ohab directed Famula to take the woman’s valuables, including prescription glasses and her cellphone, and the woman left. She reported the incident to police in May 2013.

Ohab was sentenced to time served — eight months — and two years of probation. Famula, who had been in custody for 13 months, in part because she could not provide a surety, was sentenced to time served with one year of probation.

The Crown noted that Ohab was the “driving force” in the crimes — a characterization he appeared to object to in brief comments made in court.

“I’d just like to say when the Crown says that I was the driving force behind all of this — I actually was sitting at home in my apartment while these two females were coming into Metro Housing,” he said. “The three of us led sad lives. So I’m just going to leave it at that. There were sad people who lived sad lives.”

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Ohab’s lawyer at the time said the incident was the result of drug abuse and Ohab had been working with a drug treatment worker to get clean. He has a daughter with a former partner and had previously been employed with the City of Toronto and in the watchmaking department of The Bay, she said.

In the 2009 and 2010 criminal harassment case, Ohab was accused of repeatedly commenting on the appearance and clothing of his neighbour, eventually hugging her and attempting to kiss her neck on the street. At one point she said he told her: “It’s not my fault. You are so hot, I couldn’t help myself.”

He also repeatedly showed up at the bar where she worked, she told police.

Ohab was convicted of criminal harassment and was sentenced to time served — one-and-a-half months — and 18 months of probation.