Close X
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. accepts change for psychiatric care after alleged attack by mentally ill man

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Sep, 2024 12:21 PM
  • B.C. accepts change for psychiatric care after alleged attack by mentally ill man

A report into a triple stabbing at a festival in Vancouver's Chinatown last year says the man accused of the crimes had been let out of a psychiatric care facility 99 times in the year prior without incident.

The report, authored by former Abbotsford Police chief Bob Rich, says the suspect in the stabbing, Blair Donnelly, was on his 100th unescorted leave from the BC Forensic Psychiatric Hospital on Sept. 10, 2023, when he allegedly stabbed three festivalgoers at the Light Up Chinatown Festival. 

The external review, ordered by the provincial government after the stabbings, says Donnelly was found not criminally responsible for killing his daughter in 2006 while "suffering from a psychotic delusion that God wanted him to kill her." 

Rich's report makes several recommendations to better handle "higher-risk patients," including bolstering their care teams, improving policies around granting patient leaves, shoring up staff training in forensics and the use of "risk-management tools," such as GPS tracking systems. 

The B.C. Ministry of Health says it has accepted all of Rich's recommendations and has already begun implementing them including "following new polices for granting leave privileges at the hospital."

Court records show Donnelly is due back in Vancouver provincial court in March 2025. 

MORE National ARTICLES

CSC staff member assaulted in a prison

CSC staff member assaulted in a prison
Correctional Service Canada says a member of the staff was assaulted at the Kent Maximum Security Institution. The federal agency says the staff member was taken to an outside hospital to be treated and evaluated.

CSC staff member assaulted in a prison

BC 1st province to sign Pharmacare agreement

BC 1st province to sign Pharmacare agreement
British Columbia is becoming the first province in Canada to sign a pharmacare agreement with the federal government. The agreement means B-C is the first province to have the federal government help fund hormone replacement therapy and diabetes expenses.

BC 1st province to sign Pharmacare agreement

Pedestrian struck on Highway 97

Pedestrian struck on Highway 97
Kelowna R-C-M-P say it is investigating the death of a pedestrian along Highway 97. Emergency health services were called to a pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle along the highway and Burtch Road.

Pedestrian struck on Highway 97

B.C. to scrap carbon tax if federal government drops requirement: Eby

B.C. to scrap carbon tax if federal government drops requirement: Eby
British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government would end the carbon tax on consumers if the federal government removed the legal requirement. Eby says B.C. residents are struggling with affordability, but the government would still ensure that big polluters pay a price for carbon to take action on climate change. 

B.C. to scrap carbon tax if federal government drops requirement: Eby

Singh says NDP drafting climate plan, won't say if it'll include consumer carbon tax

Singh says NDP drafting climate plan, won't say if it'll include consumer carbon tax
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh won't say whether he would keep the consumer carbon price if his party forms government at the next election. Speaking to reporters in Montreal on Thursday, Singh criticized both the Liberals and the Conservatives over their approaches to fighting climate change. 

Singh says NDP drafting climate plan, won't say if it'll include consumer carbon tax

Canada's consul general in New York at House committee today about official residence

Canada's consul general in New York at House committee today about official residence
Canada's consul general in New York is meeting with MPs today to talk about the purchase of his official residence. Former CTV journalist Tom Clark is answering questions at the House operations committee which is studying the government's decision to buy a $9-million condo in Manhattan.

Canada's consul general in New York at House committee today about official residence

PrevNext