After deliberating for several hours, a jury found Jayme Pasieka guilty on all charges laid in connection to a February, 2014 stabbing at an Edmonton warehouse.
On Thursday, closing arguments were given in Pasieka’s trial. He faces two charges of first degree murder, among others, for the mass stabbing on February 28, 2014 that left two dead at a Loblaw warehouse.
Jurors started deliberating Thursday.
Before noon Friday, the jury entered the courtroom, and asked to hear Pasieka’s full testimony again.
He was eventually found guilty of two counts of first degree murder, and four counts each of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
On Wednesday, Pasieka took the stand in his own defence.
The accused said he needed help for mental health issues, and believed the attack could be a way out – he told court he had been hearing a voice, which he believed to be the devil, and said that voice told him to hurt someone or kill himself.
Court heard Pasieka woke up for work that day, went to a store and bought two knives, before arriving at work and then walking through the warehouse and stabbing six of his coworkers.
Fitzroy Harris and Thierno Bah died as a result of their injuries.
Pasieka has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his lawyer is questioning whether he has the ability to form the intent needed for charges of first-degree murder, due to a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
However, the Crown has argued the attack was deliberate, planned and targeted.
In total, the jury deliberated for about seven hours – delivering a verdict two hours after re-watching Pasieka’s testimony.
The two first-degree murder charges come with automatic life sentences, the jury unanimously decided Friday not to say whether the sentences should be served consecutively or concurrently.
With files from Breanna Karstens-Smith and Jonathan Glasgow
