Closing arguments made in trial for man accused of murdering Winnipeg taxi driver
Closing arguments were made Friday in the case of a Winnipeg man accused of murdering a Duffy’s Taxi driver.
Lawyers for Okoth Obeing, 22, argued their client didn't have conscious control of his thoughts or actions when he killed 44-year-old Balvir Toor during the early morning hours of Mar.19, 2020 in his cab on Burrows Ave.
“This is truly a tragic case,” defence lawyer Alex Steigerwald told the court Friday. “Mr. Toor was an innocent man who lost his life and nothing can bring him back.
But it was not the same Okoth Obeing sitting before you today. It was a severely ill Mr. Obeing who stabbed Mr. Toor.”
In a lengthy interview with Winnipeg Police Service detectives hours after Toor’s death, Obeing admits to the killing.
“That’s the truth, I told you,” Obeing can be heard telling officers in the video which was played in court. “He’s dead. I killed him.”
Obeing lives with bipolar disorder and an intellectual disability which an expert testified left him unable to use thought to control his behaviour when he reached for his knife and stabbed Toor.
The Crown acknowledged he was suffering from a mental illness but told Court of King’s Bench Justice Joan McKelvey it isn't the only factor in the case.
“When Mr. Obeing got into cab 390 and plunged an eight and a half inch blade into Balvir Toor 17 times, killing him, he was mentally ill…suffering the effects of his bipolar disorder,” Crown attorney Chantal Boutin told the court. “But along with his illness and his eight and a half inch knife with a brass knuckle duster, he also got into Mr. Toor’s cab with his frustrations, his animus and his anger.”
Court has heard Obeing had previous disputes with cab drivers. He acknowledged to police he felt disrespected about being asked for prepayments and that killing Toor was the “best (expletive) feeling in the world.”
“When Mr. Toor disrespected him with yet another demand for an upfront payment that was the last straw," Boutin argued.
Boutin agreed Obeing shouldn't have been discharged from hospital nine days before the stabbing but she argued his actions were intentional and warrant a conviction for second-degree murder.
“Mr. Obeing quieted and told Mr. Toor, ‘just drive bro. Just drive,’” Boutin told Justice McKelvey. “Then he made a deliberate, rational and very conscious choice to get up from in behind the driver’s seat where that plastic shield was.”
He pulled out his knife and asked, ‘how much is it? Five-thousand dollars?’ and stabbed Mr. Toor repeatedly.”
Court has heard Obeing was off his medication at the time and was experiencing an episode of mania which came out in the form of anger and aggression.
The defence argued the evidence has proven he didn't appreciate or understand the physical consequences of his actions and didn’t' have conscious control.
“We ask for a verdict of not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder,” Steigerwald told the court.
“It was because of mental illness that this tragedy occurred.”
Justice McKelvey told the court it will take some time to go through the large volume of evidence presented during the trial.
She expects to deliver a decision on Mar.14 at 9 a.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.