Accused in fatal stabbing of taxi driver unable to control behaviour due to mental illness, forensic psychiatrist tells court

The mental health of a 22-year-old Winnipeg man accused of murdering a taxi driver was the focus of a forensic psychiatrist’s testimony Tuesday in court.

Okoth Obeing is on trial for second-degree murder in the March 2020 death of Balvir Toor, 44, on Burrows Avenue in the city’s North End.

The Crown has told court Obeing is criminally responsible due in part to a dislike of cab drivers over requests for prepayments, which prosecutors are arguing he viewed as disrespect. But lawyers for the accused disagree, pointing to Obeing’s mental illness and its impact on his thoughts and behaviour.

Defence lawyers played portions of surveillance video from Winnipeg Police Service headquarters Tuesday in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench.

It's video of the accused in the custody of Winnipeg police following his arrest on Mar. 19, 2020, just hours after the homicide.

Dr. Jeffrey Waldman, a forensic psychiatrist who court heard conducted an assessment of Obeing, testified Obeing's actions in the video are consistent with his mental illness.

"His emotions are extremely dysregulated and he's having trouble controlling his behaviour despite the circumstances,” Waldman told Justice Joan McKelvey.

It's a trial court has heard is about state of mind.

Video from inside the taxi captured Obeing fatally stabbing Toor. Court has heard the driver was stabbed 17 times before Obeing ran from the scene of the incident.

During questioning by Alex Steigerwald, Obeing’s lawyer, Waldman testified Obeing has bipolar disorder and has episodes of mania.

“He becomes more agitated and aggressive and that is his main presentation,” Waldman told the court.

Steigerwald later asked Waldman if Obeing knew or understood what he was doing when he pulled out the knife in Toor's taxi.

“The symptoms of his illness left him unable to use thought to control his behaviour,” Waldman testified.

Asked by Steigerwald if Obeing understood what he was doing when he began to stab Toor, Waldman testified: “The symptoms of his illness left him unable to consciously control his behaviour at that point."

Court has heard Obeing was discharged from hospital Mar. 10, 2020, after being taken to the Crisis Response Centre Feb. 26, 2020.

Waldman testified it's his opinion Obeing was released too soon with an inadequate dose of anti-psychotic medication, medication court has heard Obeing reported he wasn't taking in the days leading up to Toor's killing.

Court has also heard Obeing was on probation for a dispute with a taxi driver in July 2019 in which he pleaded guilty to mischief.

The Crown is set to begin cross-examination of Waldman on Wednesday.

The trial continues.