Suspect accused of killing girl at B.C. high school is unfit for trial: lawyer
Gabriel Klein is charged in fatal stabbing of 13-year-old Letisha Reimer in 2016
A courtroom in New Westminster, B.C., heard arguments Thursday about whether a man accused of stabbing two girls at an Abbotsford high school in 2016 is fit to stand trial.
Gabriel Klein's ongoing psychosis makes him unfit to stand trial for the murder of a high school girl in Abbotsford, B.C., according to his lawyer.
Martin Peters said Klein can't meaningfully participate in a trial because he has reported hearing voices, and has difficulty communicating because of his disordered thinking.
The lawyer said the stress of a trial could cause his mental state to deteriorate further.
Klein is accused of the second-degree murder of 13-year-old Letisha Reimer and the aggravated assault of a second Grade 9 student. Both were attacked in the lobby of Abbotsford Senior Secondary in November 2016.
Peters says Klein should be remanded back to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam, where he has been treated four times since he was arrested.
On Wednesday, a psychiatrist who has been treating Klein told the court that the man has schizophrenia and is psychotic.
Klein's trial is set to begin May 7, but a judge first has to decide if he's mentally fit.