Jury to begin deliberating next week in Chinatown stabbings

The murder trial of Honor Charley, accused in two stabbings, one of which was fatal, is expected to enter jury deliberations next week.

Charley, 20 at the time of the attacks in Ottawa's Chinatown, faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault for the stabbings of two men in April 2021.

Surveillance footage from a Petro-Canada gas station at Bronson Avenue and Somerset Street, near the Chinatown arches, captured Charley in the moments leading up to and during the attacks.

Video shows Charley standing in line at 9:40 a.m. behind 64-year-old Carl Reinboth, a Somerset West Outreach worker. The two men exit the store, and shortly after Charley pulled a kitchen knife from his jacket and stabbed Reinboth in the back. Paramedics transported Reinboth to hospital, where he later died.

After the attack, Charley fled down nearby Cambridge Street, briefly hiding before wandering the neighbourhood. At one point, police questioned him after he attempted to steal a woman's dog.

By 11:48 a.m., Charley had returned to the same gas station, where he stabbed 84-year-old Guocai Sun in the neck as the man was leaving the store. Like Reinboth, Sun had been standing in front of Charley before the attack. Charley then robbed the store and fled. He was later arrested and charged.

At issue in the trial is whether Charley is criminally responsible for his actions.

Accused suffered mental decline

The defence argues the attacks were unprovoked and occurred during a period of mental decline. Court heard that in the days leading up to the stabbings, Charley searched online for "grandiose thinking" and told friends celebrities Kim Kardashian and Kevin Hart were conspiring against him online.

A former Nepean High School football star, Charley was described by friends and family as social and outgoing, with aspirations of becoming a firefighter. But family witnesses testified he had become increasingly erratic and aggressive in the months leading up to the stabbings.

The defence presented expert testimony suggesting Charley was experiencing a psychotic episode related to schizophrenia, citing disorganized thoughts, hallucinations and paranoid delusions. Defence lawyer Michael Smith argued Charley lacked the intent to kill and was unable to assess his actions at the time.

"Quite clear he had no intention," Smith said, adding the "sad reality" was that Charley's actions resulted from a mental disorder.

The defence urged the jury to consider Charley's behaviour before, during and after the stabbings, emphasizing that he was in a state of fear and paranoia, believing people were out to get him. Smith argued Charley was not thinking rationally when he attacked the victims and was suffering from delusions both before and after the events.

Prosecution says murder intentional

The Crown argues Charley knew what he was doing before, during and after the stabbings — and understood the consequences of his actions. Prosecutors pointed to police interviews and mental health reports as evidence that he intended to kill both men.

They say Charley's actions, including his attempts to flee the scene and online searches showing his interest in the legal consequences of stabbing someone, indicate awareness suggesting he was not in a state of psychosis. The prosecution argues Charley understood his actions were legally and morally wrong and should be held criminally responsible.

The trial continues, with the jury expected to deliberate next week on Charley's criminal responsibility.

If found not criminally responsible, Charley will come under the purview of the Ontario Review Board, which will determine how long he must remain under the control of authorities.