Accused in Manitoba bus killing fit to stand trial: court
Last Updated: Monday, October 6, 2008 | 5:03 PM CT
CBC News
Vince Li, a Chinese immigrant who became a Canadian citizen last year, is charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Tim McLean, 22. (John Woods/Canadian Press) A man accused of beheading a passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba was found fit to stand trial in a courtroom in Portage la Prairie, Man., on Monday.
An interim psychiatric assessment was submitted to the provincial court on Vince Li, 40.
"He is fit to stand trial," defence lawyer Gordon Bates said Monday outside court. "There is enough evidence to put him on trial for that charge."
The trial will now largely depend on whether experts think Li was criminally responsible for his actions, defence lawyer Alan Libman said.
"That's really the sole issue in this case," he said. "If someone commits an offence while suffering a disease of the mind and they don't know their actions are wrong, they can't be held criminally responsible."
Both the Crown and defence on the case asked the judge not to release the assessment publicly because doing so might jeopardize Li's right to a fair trial.
The assessment includes information that could taint the jury pool, his lawyer said Monday after the court hearing.
"This should be litigated in court and not the court of public opinion," Libman said.
Crown attorney Joyce Dalmyn said Li's psychiatric evaluation is still ongoing and will not be released at this stage.
"To publish any report at this time certainly would be prejudicial," she said. "It's an incomplete report."
Li did not appear in court Monday. He remains in a Winnipeg hospital and is still undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
His lawyers said he is co-operating with them, and with doctors.
His next court date was set for Nov. 6 at Manitoba's Court of Queen's Bench. A trial date is expected to be set at that time. Li is not expected to appear in person then, either.
Li, a Chinese immigrant who became a Canadian citizen last year, is charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Tim McLean, 22, a carnival worker who was on his way home from Alberta on July 30.
Witnesses said the attack on McLean appeared to be unprovoked — a man sitting next to him simply stood up and started stabbing him, then cut up his body.
With files from the Canadian Press
