Trial starts for man charged in connection with fatal stabbing outside Vancouver Starbucks

The trial for the man charged in connection with a fatal stabbing outside a Vancouver Starbucks in March 2023.

Paul Schmidt, 37, was stabbed and killed following a verbal altercation with a stranger outside the Starbucks at Granville and Pender Streets.

Inderdeep Singh Gosal, who was 32 at the time, was arrested at the scene and later charged with second-degree murder.

In court on Tuesday, Gosal pleaded not guilty to the charge.

A video of the fatal stabbing was played in B.C. Supreme Court, showing the confrontation between the two men lasted 25 seconds.

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Gosal watched the video of the altercation from the prisoner’s box with his head resting on his hand as it covered his mouth.

Video was also shown of Gosal travelling by train to downtown Vancouver around 5 p.m. and then entering the patio of the coffee shop about 35 minutes later.

Schmidt’s mother, Kathy, told Global News in March 2023 that he was at Starbucks with his wife and his young daughter.

“Paul lived for his wife and his daughter … that was his whole life,” Kathy told Global News over the phone.

“This man has ruined so many lives.”

2:19 Parents of Paul Schmidt visit his memorial

Gosal’s judge-only trial is expected to last about five weeks.

The primary issue is to consider the intent of the stabbing and whether the Crown can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Gosal intended to cause Schmidt bodily harm that he knew was likely to cause death.