A man accused of a fatal stabbing on a Vancouver café patio nearly three years ago addressed the victim’s family directly at his B.C. Supreme Court trial Thursday.
Inderdeep Singh Gosal apologized to the family of Paul Schmidt, who died after being stabbed in front of a Starbucks on March 26, 2023.
Gosal is on trial for second-degree murder, and the apology came at the end of his direct examination when he was asked if there was anything he’d like to say to the family.
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“I hope you know I have a lot of remorse and regret over what happened,” said Gosal.
“I didn’t want to hurt him that day, but I also wasn’t thinking right. I wasn’t on my medications. I wish I could go back in time.”
The court listened in silence. Schmit’s mother was present for the apology, but Gosal did not look towards her.
Gosal has pleaded not guilty, with his lawyer asking the judge to find him guilty of manslaughter instead.
Gosal’s lawyer told the courtroom last week that his client suffers from psychosis and schizophrenia and that he wasn’t medicated on the day of the killing.
CityNews has obtained CCTV footage from the courts showing the moments leading up to the stabbing.
Gosal can be seen taking a seat on the patio of the Starbucks on Granville and West Pender Street.
He has a smoke while Schmidt is inside.
Schmidt then exits the café, pushing a stroller with a child. He passes the patio, but two minutes later, a verbal interaction breaks out between him and Gosal.
There is some back and forth, and Schmidt walks back to the entrance of the patio. He leaves the stroller and approaches Gosal.
It is not clear what Gosal says to Schmidt, but Schmidt is seen confronting Gosal.
The altercation left Schmidt lying in a pool of blood, stabbed six times in the chest.
Gosal told the court last week that he had never been in a fight prior to this one. However, he has now signed an admission of fact that he had been in a fight at a SkyTrain station while drunk eleven years ago.
He also testified that he could not remember how much he drank on the day of the stabbing, but on cross-examination, he agreed with Crown counsel it had been about seven beers — less than he had first told police.
Gosal had trouble recalling other events of that day, such as whether he was smoking a blunt he had just purchased from a nearby cannabis store or his own cigar from home.
Cross-examination is scheduled to continue next week.