(New Westminster) A British Columbia court has heard of the mayhem caused at a North Vancouver library by a man who pleaded guilty on Monday to stabbing a woman to death and injuring six others.
Yannick Bandaogo, 30, pleaded guilty in a court in New Westminster, British Columbia, to second degree murder, five counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault for a series of attacks in and around Lynn Valley Library in March 2021.
His 10-week trial was due to begin on Monday.
Bandaogo said little during the hearing, but told the judge he understood the consequences of pleading guilty and waiving his right to a trial.
An agreed statement of facts read in court in French describes Bandaogo’s attacks that day when he suddenly and without warning stabbed a victim 12 times, killing her before moving on to others in the vicinity.
Six other people, aged 22 to 78, were injured in the attack.
The statement confirms that the attacker did not know any of his victims before the stabbings.
She did not provide a motive for the Bandaogo attacks.
Defense lawyer Georges Rivard said his client “has accepted responsibility” for the attacks by pleading guilty after processing all the information made available to him ahead of Monday’s appearance.
Me Rivard declined to comment on Bandaogo’s justification for pleading guilty, saying more information about the details of the case, such as possible victim impact statements, will be presented in court at sentencing. which is scheduled to begin on July 5.
Bandaogo was arrested shortly after the attack and was treated in hospital for what police said were self-inflicted injuries.
Crown attorney Daniel Loucks said the guilty plea will help those who have been affected not be further traumatized by a trial.
Bandaogo, originally from Quebec, made his plea in French.