October 24,2025
RED FM News Desk
The man accused of stabbing three people in Chinatown two years ago has been found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
Blair Donnelly, 66, had pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated assault after admitting to the stabbings at the 2023 Light Up Chinatown festival while on unescorted leave from the B.C. Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam. Two women were stabbed in the back and a man in the arm.
Donnelly, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had his lawyer argue that his mental illness prevented him from knowing his actions were wrong.
Justice Eric Gottardi ruled Friday that to be found not criminally responsible, a person must be suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offense that renders them unable to distinguish right from wrong. “We don’t convict people of crimes for being sick,” Gottardi said, noting that while Donnelly was a credible witness, memory issues affected his reliability.
During the trial, it was revealed that Donnelly experienced a born-again religious conversion at age 22, which initially steered him away from drugs and partying but later contributed to violent behavior. Donnelly believed that hurting someone at the festival would prompt “Chinese authorities” to intervene. He insisted he had no personal animosity toward Chinese people and stabbed each victim only once, intending to harm but not kill.
Donnelly has previously been found not criminally responsible for the 2006 stabbing death of his daughter and a 2017 attack on another psychiatric patient.
The case has been referred to the Review Board, which is expected to hold a hearing within 90 days. Meanwhile, Donnelly will remain at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital and will not be released to the public.
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