Man convicted of manslaughter after stabbing father outside Vancouver Starbucks

A 34-year-old man, Inderdeep Singh Gosal, faced a second-degree murder charge after he stabbed Paul Schmidt, a 37-year-old father, six times in a brief altercation outside a Vancouver Starbucks in March 2023. The incident, recorded by CCTV, began when Schmidt confronted Gosal about smoking weed in front of his family. Gosal claimed the knife was a divine sign and that he acted in self-defence, but prosecutors highlighted contradictions in his story, including evidence that he purchased the blade and exaggerated his alcohol intake.

During the trial, Gosal testified that he suffers from schizophrenia and had stopped taking medication three months prior. Justice Kathleen Ker, noting the chaotic evidence and the victim’s aggression, concluded that intent to kill could not be proven, resulting in a manslaughter conviction. A sentencing date has not yet been set.