Vancouver stabbing victim ‘very disappointed’ with attacker’s house arrest sentence

A man who was stabbed while intervening in a robbery in Vancouver’s Olympic Village last year says he’s unsatisfied with the sentence handed down to his attacker.

Sheldon Ilbegi-Asli was handed a 15-month conditional sentence on Monday, to be served at home, followed by one year of probation for the Boxing Day 2023 attack.

In April, Ilbegi-Asli, 22, pleaded guilty to theft under $5,000 and two counts of assault with a weapon. The court heard he used pepper spray on someone he’d met to buy a computer graphics card from, then stabbed two bystanders who chased him down.

2:16 Vancouver Olympic Village stabbing victim speaks out

Another mischief charge related to an incident while he was on bail after pleading guilty in the stabbings was stayed.

One of those bystanders was food delivery worker Meraj Ahmed, who still hasn’t fully recovered from a serious laceration to his hand.

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“I am very disappointed,” Ahmed told Global News on Friday.

“I don’t think it’s enough for him … He should at least be in a jail for six months to one year.”

In court, Ilbegi-Asli’s family described him as a smart kid who had struggled with substance use and mental health issues before the attack.

His release comes with 18 conditions, including 24-hour-a-day house arrest for eight months and an overnight curfew for the following seven months. He’s also been banned from possessing any weapons or knives.

1:42 New information about suspect in Vancouver Olympic Village stabbing

Ahmed said that given Ilbegi-Asli’s mental health issues, he should not have been released into the community.

“I’m not concerned for myself, but he’s not safety for others also. He could hurt anyone. He was using a knife,” he said.

Ahmed told Global News he is doing better since the knife attack, but still hasn’t fully regained the use of his hand.

He has been able to return to work delivering food and has since signed up for business school.

The 28-year-old, who moved to Vancouver from Bangladesh last fall to study, is now preparing to welcome his mother, wife and daughter later this summer.

And despite his terrifying ordeal, he said he’d still intervene in a similar situation.

“Obviously I will help people in trouble,” he said.

“But I don’t recommend to anyone to do this kind of thing.”