There should be no jail time and no criminal record for the man who stabbed a stranger in Deep Cove in May 2024, the Crown and defence lawyers have agreed, citing the accused’s mental breakdown.
Alexander Currie, 41, was in North Vancouver provincial court for a sentencing hearing Wednesday afternoon.
According to an agreed statement of facts read out in court, Bryan McLaren was riding his scooter up Deep Cove Road on May 25, 2024, when Currie confronted him with a chef’s knife on the street, stabbing his windshield and screaming “What are you going to tell me?” and “I’m going to kill you.”
McLaren dropped the scooter and fell to the ground where Currie stabbed him in the helmet three times.
Soon after, a passerby saw what was happening and came to the rescue, driving his vehicle onto the sidewalk and urging McLaren to get in. Even after, Currie continued to stab the windshield and roof of the car.
RCMP officers arrived and arrested Currie. After he was taken into custody, he again attacked officers in the RCMP detachment, the court heard.
McLaren escaped serious physical injuries thanks to the helmet, but he continues to have terrible memories of the incident, according to his victim impact statement read out in court.
McLaren said he feels empathy for other victims of stranger attacks.
“What I’m finding out now is that with all the news of stabbings, at least once a week, what you did to me, just for a moment, I remember the terror, but I also feel so bad for these victims because of what I went through. I now understand their pain,” his statement read.
Initially, Currie was charged with attempted murder, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, mischief and assaulting a police officer. He pleaded guilty Friday to three of the charges, with the Crown agreeing to drop the attempted murder and assault on an officer counts.
At the time of the attack, Currie was experiencing a manic episode and was actively psychotic, paranoid and delusional, Crown prosecutor Sean Harvey told the court. Currie, a practising lawyer, hadn’t had a manic episode in more than 17 years. At the time, he was under a lot of work stress, not sleeping well and he’d been consuming alcohol and cannabis, which a psychiatrist said likely exacerbated his psychotic break.
The Crown and defence agreed Currie should face three years of probation and receive a conditional discharge, meaning he will not have a criminal record if he abides by his probation conditions.
Under legal precedents set by Supreme Court of Canada decisions, offenders who committed crimes that were caused solely by mental illness are less morally culpable and are entitled to more lenient sentences.
Defence lawyer Caroline Senini highlighted that Currie’s behaviour that day was something far out of character for an otherwise compassionate and pro-social person. Since the incident, her client has been extremely committed to his mental health, diligently staying on his medication and keeping appointments with his doctors. Leaving him with a criminal record would not serve the public’s interest, she added.
Before the court adjourned for the day, Currie gave a public apology to his victims, the witnesses, his family, the RCMP and to McLaren in particular.
“I know it must have been a terrifying situation, and it fills me with shame and regret that I caused him pain and trauma through my actions,” he said. “I know I caused a lot of fear and trauma to everyone involved, and I’m truly sorry for that.”
Although the Crown and defence were in agreement on what a suitable sentence should be, Judge Jospeh Galati said he would need more time to review all the submissions. He added it was “extremely unlikely” he would deviate from the Crown and defence’s request.
Currie is due back in court for sentencing on June 13.
According to the Law Society of B.C., he is currently listed as “non-practising.”
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