Inderdeep Singh Gosal, 34, has been convicted of manslaughter rather than second-degree murder for the March 2023 stabbing death of Paul Schmidt, 37. The verdict came after Gosal's legal team argued the attack was an "overreaction due to mental illness" rather than a "deliberate attempt to kill."
Schmidt was fatally stabbed six times in a confrontation that lasted 28 seconds outside a Starbucks in Vancouver, Canada. Gosal testified that he suffers from schizophrenia and has experienced psychotic symptoms and delusions. He also stated that he had stopped taking his medication approximately three months before the incident. Gosal claimed he found the knife in an alley, interpreting it as a "sign from God" that he needed to defend himself.
Prosecutors presented discrepancies in Gosal's account, including evidence that he had purchased the knife and had exaggerated his alcohol consumption on the day of the attack. According to reports, Schmidt, a married father, confronted Gosal for smoking marijuana on the restaurant's patio. The confrontation escalated physically, with Schmidt shoving Gosal to the ground.
Gosal then produced a knife from his pocket and stabbed Schmidt. A responding Vancouver police officer reported that Gosal immediately stated, "I did it. He came after me."
BC Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker noted that while Gosal's testimony was inconsistent, CCTV footage of the incident suggested Schmidt was the primary aggressor. The judge observed that Schmidt had the upper hand in the altercation until Gosal began stabbing him. Ker stated that she considered whether Gosal's actions were a panic response and factored in the potential roles of his alleged alcohol consumption and mental illness. Based on these considerations, the judge could not definitively conclude that Gosal intended to kill Schmidt. A sentencing date has not yet been set.