FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VANCOUVER, B.C.: Six stab wounds. A father dead. And now a manslaughter conviction instead of murder—the verdict in the killing of Paul Schmidt has left British Columbians angry and asking why criminals continue to receive lenient sentences. 

MLA Bryan Tepper, Shadow Minister for Solicitor General and Emergency Response called on the NDP government to immediately stop turning a blind eye to the escalating chaos on B.C. streets. 

“It’s ludicrous that a judge could find that someone who violently stabbed a father outside a coffee shop didn’t understand that death could follow,” said Tepper. “This is about more than one terrible incident. British Columbians are watching public disorder become normalized while violent crime continues to threaten ordinary families. People should not have to wonder whether asking someone to follow the rules could put their lives at risk.”

Schmidt was at a downtown Vancouver Starbucks with his partner and three-year-old child when he confronted Inderdeep Singh Gosal for smoking cannabis near the café entrance.

Seconds later, Schmidt was dying on the patio from stab wounds inflicted by Gosal.

The court found that Gosal went too far and was no longer acting in self-defence. But the Crown failed to prove second-degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt, and Gosal was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

“Our hearts go out to Paul Schmidt’s family, who have endured an unimaginable loss,” said Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C. “Our justice system has become too lenient on violent offenders and too often puts their interests ahead of victims and law-abiding citizens. That’s why I strongly supported tougher bail provisions in the Criminal Code during my time in Ottawa. British Columbians deserve a Premier that puts their safety first, stands with victims and makes clear that violent crime has serious consequences.” 

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