Canada, WTF?

[Lair]

I agree with that, and that's the point I've been making on other forums. Everyone says that someone should have done something, when in reality they did do something.

They locked him in the bus so he couldn't kill anyone else. The first place he stabbed the kid was in the throat, the kid was doomed from the first second. What good would trying to fight him have done? Get a couple more people slashed up, maybe killed? It's not like they all stood there while the guy threatened the kid. The guy stabbed immediately in the throat, before anyone could react or knew what was going on. They also sent 3 big guys in after him to check if the boy was still alive and to help him, the man chased after them swinging the hunting knife at them.

However, the other side of the argument is that now the killer will probably take full advantage of the shoddy justice system in Canada and plead insanity. If that doesn't work, which it likely will, he will get 10-25 years for second degree murder and probably get out much sooner on "good behavior."

I've heard that the second-degree charge was levied to prevent the killer from using an insanity defense.

From a Canadian on another board:

Charging him with 1st degree murder gives the lawyers something to try and get him off with. He'll likely be deemed a dangerous offender and be locked up for life, whether it's first or second degree murder he's charged with. If something more comes out in the future they can always up the charge.

[Sam Cogley]

However, the other side of the argument is that now the killer will probably take full advantage of the shoddy justice system in Canada and plead insanity. If that doesn't work, which it likely will, he will get 10-25 years for second degree murder and probably get out much sooner on "good behavior."

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this guy was indeed totally buggo.