‘I wish I could go back in time’: Man apologizes for fatal Vancouver café stabbing

VANCOUVER — A man accused of a fatal stabbing on a Vancouver café patio nearly three years ago addressed the victim’s family directly at his B.C. Supreme Court trial, saying he is “really sorry” and wishes he could “go back in time.”

Inderdeep Singh Gosal pleaded not guilty last month to second-degree murder in the death of Paul Schmidt on March 26, 2023, that was captured on video and widely shared on social media.

His apology came the end of his direct examination on Thursday, when his lawyer Gloria Ng asked her client if he’d like to say anything to Schmidt’s family, who have attended each day of the trial.

“I’m sorry for what happened. I hope you know I have a lot of remorse and regret over what happened. I didn’t want to hurt him that day, but I also wasn’t thinking right. I wasn’t on my medications. I wish I could go back in time,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Gosal, who appeared in court Thursday wearing a blue sweater over a white collared shirt, had testified last week that he found the knife in an alley and took it as a “sign from God” that he needed to protect himself.

Ng told the court last week that her client suffers psychosis and schizophrenia and was unmedicated on the day of the killing.

Gosal had testified that he had been refilling his antipsychotic medication but stopped taking it about three months before the stabbing.

Ng said while he meant to cause harm when he stabbed Schmidt, he didn’t have the mental capacity to understand that his actions would cause death.

The defence, Ng said during her opening statement on March 3, will ultimately ask the court to find Gosal guilty of manslaughter, not second-degree murder.

Gosal had previously told the court that he had never been in a fight prior to the stabbing, but later signed an admission of fact that was entered at the trial on Thursday that said he had engaged in a physical fight at a SkyTrain station while drunk in March 2015.

The admissions of fact also cited two other incidents, in 2016 and 2017, when Gosal had encounters with police and was found to be carrying a knife.

CCTV footage was shown in court last month showing a verbal confrontation between the two men that turned physical when Schmidt approached Gosal, who was smoking something near the Starbucks entrance.

The altercation left Schmidt lying in a pool of blood after being stabbed six times in the chest.

During cross-examination later Thursday, Gosal was asked whether Schmidt said something to him about smoking on the patio that day.

“I don’t remember,” Gosal replied.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Pruim questioned Gosal, who often rested his head on his hands, obstructing his face from the gallery. He struggled to answer Pruim’s questions directly, often requiring clarification.

Gosal said several times that he did not remember certain details and would be guessing if he answered.

He testified that he was “pretty sure” he had been smoking a cigar on the patio that he had brought from home, which he earlier testified may have had marijuana in it.

“I’m having a hard time remembering stuff because my memory is not good but I’m pretty sure it was something I brought from home,” he said, as opposed to a marijuana “blunt” he had just bought.

Gosal also said Thursday that he could not remember how many beers he had at a restaurant the day of the stabbing or if he ate there.

But he admitted telling police he consumed more alcohol that day than he actually had, as he believed that would allow him to go home sooner. He also agreed that he lied to police about forgetting which restaurant he went to.

He had told police he drank about 10 beers and seven shots of vodka, but in his testimony agreed with the Crown when it was suggested he actually only consumed seven beers.

Asked if omitting information was lying, Gosal said he “did not believe so” and agreed with Pruim when he called it a “half-truth.”

Gosal’s cross-examination is expected to continue Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press