A man accused of fatally stabbing a Winnipeg man in Saskatoon last year has pleaded guilty.
Walid Mohamed, 30, entered the second-degree murder plea in Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday — on day one of his trial. The Saskatoon man had been charged with first-degree murder after the death of 18-year-old Mohammed Omar at a Mac’s convenience store on Central Avenue on April 24, 2016.
According to the agreed statement of facts in the case, Mohamed and Omar were driving together to purchase marijuana.
On the road, the men got into an argument after Mohamed accused Omar of sexually assaulting his sister. Mohamed then stabbed Omar inside the vehicle, the court heard.
“I think he felt the victim was somehow responsible either as a participant or arranged assaults – none of which was based in reality. That was what motivated him to eventually become very upset and commit this offence,” Matthew Miazga, the Crown prosecutor, said.
Witnesses saw Omar escape the car and enter a convenience store, where Mohamed followed him. Mohamed then stabbed him again inside the store.
Court heard Mohamed turned to witnesses during the stabbing and claimed Omar raped his sister.
“What would you do? He raped my sister,” he said.
Omar had 15 stab wounds, according to the autopsy. He died inside the Mac’s convenience store.
“I lost my son. Even if he gets 100 years in jail, or one day, it doesn’t matter to me — because my son isn’t going to come back,” Khattab Karim, the victim’s father, said.
Court was told Mohamed has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but experts say he was aware of the crime he committed.
Omar’s death was Saskatoon’s fifth homicide of 2016.
A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for a minimum of 10 years.
