CBC news 

A 17-year-old boy has apologized in court for his part in the vicious beatings of two elderly Indo-Canadian men in a Surrey park nearly two years ago.

He made the apology during his sentencing hearing in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on Wednesday.

Speaking quietly, he said, "I really am ashamed of myself. I have no excuses and I should be punished. I can't say enough. I'm sorry."

But a spokeswoman for the victims' families said the apology is not acceptable, as the boy could have said he was sorry at the beginning of the trial.

The youth, who has been found guilty of manslaughter, aggravated assault and robbery is being sentenced as an adult. 

He and another teen beat Mewa Singh Bains, 83, and Shingara Singh Thandi, 76, with baseball bats in two separate attacks in the public washrooms at Bear Creek Park in July 2005.

Thandi died three weeks later in hospital. Bains died of a stroke a month after being attacked.

Crown asks for at least 6 years

The Crown is asking that the teen — who can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act — be given a sentence of six to nine years. The defence is asking for four years, minus the 23 months the youth has already been locked up.

The two boys had initially been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Thandi's death, but it was reduced to manslaughter after the judge said they didn't have the experience or foresight to show murderous intent.

The two youths were not charged with murder in Bains's death because it could not be linked directly to the attack.

The pair cannot be identified because they were 13 and 15 when they attacked the seniors.

The other boy has already been sentenced to three years in custody, the maximum sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.