Accused Chinatown stabber deemed 'significant threat' by BC Review Board
Five months before Blair Evan Donnelly allegedly stabbed three strangers in an unprovoked attack, the BC Review Board had concerns he may pose a threat to public safety.
During an annual meeting to discuss Donnelly’s disposition on April 13, 2023, it concluded that Donnelly continues to “meet the threshold of significant threat" and ordered to be detained for eight months.
He was found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder for stabbing his 16-year-old daughter to death in 2006 in Kitimat, B.C. He was sent to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam.
According to the decision, he is currently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, with psychotic symptoms when manic, and he is in remission from a substance use disorder.
The review board decision outlines the fatal attack. It wrote Donnelly did not show any “apparent signs of mental deterioration” beforehand.
“Earlier that day, Mr. Donnelly had been planning to murder his wife, but he changed his mind to his delusional belief that it was his daughter that God wanted him to kill,” the decision reads.
In 2009, while on a day pass, he “suddenly stabbed” a friend and was convicted to assault with a weapon and served 45 days in jail.
Another incident happened in 2017 when he was allowed a visit leave from the psychiatric hospital but staff noticed he was “preoccupied with religious matters” and had to return back to the institution.
“Shortly after his return to FPH, Mr. Donnelly suddenly attacked another patient in the Hawthorne unit with a butter knife,” the decision reads. Donnelly was found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder for that incident.
In conclusion, the board noted, “The accused has reoffended after long periods of remission between violent episodes and without any significant warning signs.”
“When ill, Mr. Donnelly has no insight into his deterioration. He requires significant supervision to ensure he does not cause further harm to the public.”
‘BUREAUCRATIC CHAOS’
The document also reveals Donnelly had made some “good progress” and in 2021 and 2022, he began to have more visits to Coastal Transitional Cottages, in anticipation he may be given a conditional discharge recommendation.
But testimony was heard that the transitional cottages “failed to supervise” Donnelly in the way that was recommended in the treatment plan.
Former Attorney General Barry Penner told CTV News the April decision highlights some issues within the institutions.
“The first reading of this order indicates that there were staffing shortages, staffing turnover, problems in people checking emails and receiving the important information and acting on that information,” Penner said. “There is a bit of a pattern here of chaos, almost bureaucratic chaos happening, within the provincial institutions that were supposed to be looking after people like Mr. Donnelly.”
He said there appears to be some disorganization in administration.
“That’s very disturbing, because we see what can go wrong. This is a risky, risky endeavor, handling these people. They need to be handled appropriately. And fortunately, it looks like in this case, from what we see so far, it looks like Mr. Donnelly was not appropriately supervised or handled in accordance with the direction of the review board,” he said.
On Thursday, Premier David Eby announced an independent investigator has been appointed to find out how Donnelly was able to get a day pass and attend the Light Up Chinatown! festival with no supervision.
Donnelly has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault and remains in custody following Sunday’s attack.
The BC Review Board is an independent tribunal that holds hearings to make and review depositions for any accused who’s been determined to be not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder or unfit to stand trial.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.