A young man from Winnipeg, Canada, has been found guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Balvir Toor nearly three years ago.
According to CBC, 23-year-old Okoth Obeing stabbed Toor 17 times in the early morning of March 19, 2020. Authorities found a seriously injured Toor in his cab around 5:30 a.m. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died.
CTV News Winnipeg, part of the case rested on whether Obeing, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, had the capacity to understand his actions at the time. The court heard from a psychiatrist who argued that Obeing was not able to control himself.
Justice Joan McKelvey, however, rejected the argument that Obeing could not be criminally responsible. McKelvey felt that there were other motives that the psychiatrist did not address, like his feelings of anger towards South Asians.
“His racism, anger, frustration and feelings of disrespect fuelled this impulsive act of violence,” McKelvey told the court, according to CBC. “He had never before acted in such an overtly aggressive and violent manner despite many manic episodes.”
Obeing’s sentencing is scheduled for April 27.
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