Man found guilty of manslaughter in fatal Vancouver Starbucks patio stabbing

Inderdeep Singh Gosal has been found guilty of manslaughter, rather than second-degree murder, in the fatal stabbing of Paul Schmidt on the patio of a downtown Vancouver Starbucks. Gosal has been in custody since his arrest on March 26, 2023, shortly after Schmidt was stabbed six times in the torso and neck.

Justice Kathleen Ker said CCTV footage was the most compelling and objective evidence at trial. The confrontation began after Schmidt challenged Gosal for smoking cannabis near the café entrance. Ker found Schmidt was the initial aggressor, quickly advanced on Gosal, adopted a fighting stance, punched at him and began to corner him. Video showed Gosal remove a knife from his hoodie pocket as Schmidt approached.

Ker noted inconsistencies in Gosal’s testimony but accepted that he feared for his life. Schmidt, who was at the coffee shop with his partner and their three-year-old child, collapsed on the patio 28 seconds after the physical confrontation began. Ker found Gosal went too far and was no longer acting in self-defence, though he was still acting in the heat of the moment and in response to a perceived threat to his life.

The court heard Gosal has schizophrenia, psychotic symptoms and delusions of reference, and had stopped taking anti-psychotic medication. Ker said the evidence left her uncertain and the Crown had not met the threshold for a second-degree murder conviction. No sentencing date has been set; Gosal may receive credit for time already spent in custody.