Manslaughter suitable for man who stabbed girl at Abbotsford high school: lawyer
Credit to Author: The Canadian Press| Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:53:31 +0000
A defence lawyer for a man charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a student inside an Abbotsford high school says his client should be found guilty of manslaughter.
Martin Peters says Gabriel Klein had stolen alcohol and a hunting knife hours earlier in order to get drunk and use the weapon to stab a police officer in hopes he would trigger his own death in a suicide-by-cop scenario.
He told B.C. Supreme Court that Klein did not intentionally plan to walk into a high school on Nov. 1, 2016, to stab a 13-year-old girl to death or injure her friend.
Martin says his client’s mental capacity was impaired slightly by alcohol because 2.8 ounces of rum were missing from a bottle he’d stolen and his blood-alcohol level suggested he’d consumed the alcohol.
The court has heard Letisha Reimer was stabbed 14 times and another girl whose name is banned from publication suffered serious stab wounds requiring multiple surgeries.
Martin says his client should be found guilty on the second charge of aggravated assault for the injuries to the girl who survived the attack.
Letisha Reimer died during an attack at Abbotsford Senior Secondary School.