Sundre man murdered McDonald's co-worker with machete over perceived disrespect, says judge

A Sundre man who killed his McDonald's co-worker in a machete attack has been convicted of first-degree murder and handed a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. 

Solaimane Elbettah killed Josh Burns, 19, in July 2022.

Elbettah's lawyer Pawel Milczarek asked Justice Glen Poelman to find his client not criminally responsible (NCR) by reason of mental disorder, arguing he was suffering from psychosis at the time and could not appreciate that his actions were morally wrong.

But Poelman rejected the NCR defence, finding that Elbettah did not suffer a mental disorder at the time of the killing "and if he did, he was capable of knowing that the act was wrong."

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The night of the killing, the two men were working an overnight shift at the McDonald's in Sundre, about 90 kilometres northwest of Calgary. 

In the early morning hours, after the pair had a cigarette together outside the restaurant, Elbettah left and blocked the drive-thru lane with two yellow milk crates.

He then crossed the street to a motel where he'd been staying, retrieved a machete and returned to the McDonald's.

Elbettah then attacked Burns, causing a deep wound to the victim's neck that measured about 28 centimetres. He left Burns to die on the floor of the restaurant.

Next, Elbettah texted his McDonald's manager, warning her there'd been "a murder" so that she wouldn't stumble into the gruesome scene. 

"He was insulting me and he was thinking he is better than me," he wrote. 

When he didn't hear back from the manager, Elbettah called 911. 

"I want to turn myself in," he told the operator. "I killed someone."

Elbettah 'lost it'

Dr. Yuri Metelitsa testified that Elbettah did not show signs of psychosis in the aftermath of the killing based on his post-attack conduct, including his demeanour in an interview with police after his arrest. 

The judge found Elbettah "failed to restrain his angry emotions."

"He was very upset with what he perceived as a history of disrespect from Mr. Burns (as well as other co-workers) and, as a result, he 'lost it,'" Poelman wrote in his 47-page decision. 

Elbettah was handed a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.