The Law Courts building, which is home to B.C. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, is seen in Vancouver, on Monday, January 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

By The Canadian Press

‘I wish I could go back in time’: Man apologizes for fatal Vancouver café stabbing

Mar 12, 2026 | 12:37 PM

VANCOUVER — A man accused of a fatal stabbing on a Vancouver café patio nearly three years ago has addressed the victim’s family directly at his B.C. Supreme Court trial, saying he is “really sorry” and wishes he could “go back in time.”

Inderdeep Singh Gosal pleaded not guilty last month to second-degree murder in the death of Paul Schmidt on March 26, 2023, that was captured on video and widely shared on social media.

Gosal, who appeared in court Thursday wearing a blue sweater over a white collared shirt, testified last week that he found the knife in an alley and took it as a “sign from God” that he needed to protect himself.

His lawyer Gloria Ng told the court her client suffers psychosis and schizophrenia and was unmedicated on the day of the killing.

She has said that while he meant to cause harm when he stabbed Schmidt, he didn’t have the mental capacity to understand that his actions would cause death.

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Gosal’s apology came the end of his direct examination on Thursday, when Ng asked her client if he’d like to say anything to Schmidt’s family, who have attended each day of the trial.

“I’m sorry for what happened. I hope you know I have a lot of remorse and regret over what happened. I didn’t want to hurt him that day, but I also wasn’t thinking right. I wasn’t on my medications. I wish I could go back in time,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Gosal had previously told the court that he had never been in a fight prior to the stabbing, but later signed an admission of fact that was entered at the trial on Thursday that said he had engaged in a physical fight at a SkyTrain station while drunk in March 2015.

The admissions of fact also cited two other incidents, in 2016 and 2017, when Gosal had encounters with police and was found to be carrying a knife.

CCTV footage was shown in court last month showing a verbal confrontation between the two men that turned physical when Schmidt approached Gosal, who was smoking something near the Starbucks entrance.

The altercation left Schmidt lying in a pool of blood after being stabbed six times in the chest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press