Man who pleaded guilty to mass stabbing in North Vancouver, B.C. to be sentenced

The man accused of a deadly stabbing spree in North Vancouver two years ago will soon learn his fate.

Yannick Bandaogo appeared in New Westminster court Wednesday afternoon to begin his three-day sentencing hearing.

Bangaogo pleaded guilty to a series of charges, including second-degree murder, earlier this year.

The Crown and defence are expected to deliver a joint proposal later this week.

Emotional victim impact statements were read aloud as Bandaogo sat in a black suit jacket at the back of the courtroom.

The parents of the 20-year-old woman who was killed shared how their life has been forever changed.

The father looked back at Bandaogo with anger as the wife described their daughter as fearless and gentle.

Other victims recounted the moments they had been attacked. One woman described being on her way to pick up her daughter from a dance class when it happened.

“I came face to face with them and my whole life was forever changed,” the woman read aloud.

She ended up losing her eye after multiple surgeries. Now, her vision is impaired and she’s been given a glass eye.

Another victim described how she was pushed into a fence and left in shock when she was stabbed in the face.

“I saw people running away but I didn’t understand the connection, or the gravity or seriousness of the danger and only realized it when I became a target of the attack,” the second victim shared in the courtroom.

She looked at Bandaogo as she called him a "monster."

The lasting emotional and physical trauma haunts her to this day, she explained.

The minimum sentence for Bandaogo's crimes is life in prison, but the question the judge in the case will have to answer is when parole eligibility will begin.

“It’s important for the victim to tell the impact it’s had on them and their family and community," said Crown counsel Jean-Benoit Deschamps. "The judge and the accused can hear first hand what exactly happened and the impacts."

The judge could order Bandaogo to be eligible for parole after as little as 10 years served, or as long as 25 years.

Once an offender becomes eligible for parole, it's still up to the Parole Board of Canada to decide whether to grant it, and under what conditions.

In May, Bandaogo pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, and one count of aggravated assault.

In doing so, he waved his right to a trial that was scheduled to last 10 weeks.

"I would expect that it's a tremendous relief for a lot of the people involved, the victims and the community, to have this result rather than go through what would feel like tremendous uncertainty and anxiety," said Crown prosecutor Daniel Loucks back in May.

Bandaogo also agreed to a statement of facts read aloud by Crown prosecutors.

The entire proceeding took place in French and Bandaogo said very little, except in response to questions about how he intended to plead.

On March 27, 2021, Bandaogo went on a stabbing spree in and around the Lynn Valley Public Library, targeting total strangers.

He killed one woman in her 20s and seriously injured six other people, one of whom lost an eye in the attack.

Police say Bandaogo also had self-inflicted wounds when he was arrested at the scene.

In the hours and days that followed the violence, condolences poured in from across B.C. and across Canada.

At the library, a large memorial grew with candles, flowers, cards and signs reading "Lynn Valley Strong." Dozens stopped by each day to pay their respects.

So far, no motive for the attack has been discussed publicly.

"At this point, it's not something we can get into. There will be a sentencing phase – and a lot of details will be provided at that time," said Georges Rivard, one of Bandaogo's lawyers back in May.

Bandaogo was charged with second-degree murder the day after the carnage.

The other charges were laid several months later, in September 2021.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Miljure