Trial begins for man accused of fatal stabbing at Vancouver cafe

The trial for a B.C. man accused of stabbing another man to death outside a Vancouver cafe last year is due to begin on Monday.

Inderdeep Singh Gosal is facing a charge of second-degree murder for allegedly stabbed Paul Schmidt, 37, in the patio area of a Starbucks near the intersection of Granville Street and Pender Street in the city's downtown core on March 26, 2023.

Singh Gosal was arrested at the scene after bystanders alerted a constable patrolling the area, Vancouver police told CBC News at the time.

Officers tried to save Schmidt, but he died in hospital.

Schmidt's mother says she was told the dispute began after her son asked another man not to vape near his toddler daughter.

The killing was captured in a gruesome video shared on social media.

Paul Schmidt, left, in a photo with his wife and 3½-year-old daughter, whose faces have been blurred for privacy reasons. (Kathy Schmidt)

Schmidt's mother previously described him as a hard worker and easygoing, adding that he was a great dad and his fiancée and daughter meant everything to him.

Singh Gosal's trial is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. PT at the provincial court house in Vancouver.