The mother of man who killed one woman and injured six others in stabbing rampage outside the Lynn Valley library two years ago told a judge in a letter Friday that her family repeatedly tried to get help for her son’s deteriorating mental health and addiction issues but was turned away.
In a letter read out in French in a New Westminister courtroom by defence lawyer Georges Rivard, the mother of Yannick Bandaogo, 30, said her son has had mental health and addiction issues for many years, including multiple psychotic episodes.
Many times, both Bandaogo and his family tried to get help but were turned away at hospitals and told by corrections officers there was nothing they could do, she wrote, adding the pandemic made her son’s problems worse.
“This problem is bigger than me, bigger than our family,” Rivard quoted from the mother’s letter. “We did not provide him with proper care.”
The mother wrote that if her son’s mental health issues had been taken seriously, the tragedy could have been avoided.
The letter from Bandaogo’s mother was read Friday morning on the third day of the sentencing hearing for Bandaogo in B.C. Supreme Court.
Bandaogo, who is from Montreal, has pleaded guilty to one charge of second-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault.
According to an agreed statement of facts previously entered in the case, Bandaogo fatally stabbed one young woman multiple times before attacking three more people nearby. He then went outside to the library plaza, where he stabbed three more people.
Bandaogo admitted in the statement of facts that he didn’t know any of the people he attacked.
In the letter, Bandaogo’s mother wrote that she is not using his mental illness as an excuse for his actions.
“I don’t pretend to know your suffering and I have so much sympathy for you,” Bandaogo’s mother wrote, addressing the victims in her letter. “. . . I have so much sadness at the thought that you all suffer as a result of an event that should have never happened.”
Bandaogo also addressed the court on Friday, acknowledging the pain that he has caused his victims and apologizing to them.
Dressed in a dark blue suit, facing the judge and speaking French in a quiet voice, Bandaogo said “It’s hard to find the words and the phrases to explain why I did what I did.”
He described how he started doing crack and crystal meth before coming to Vancouver, consuming “enormous” amount of crystal meth in Toronto.
When he took drugs, his self-destructive nature and darkness was amplified, he said.
“My nightmare became that of others…their lives have been forever marked by this tragedy and I am the one who is solely responsible,” he said. “An extraordinary woman is no longer a part of this world because of me... For all those who knew her, I am so sorry."
On Thursday, Rivard said Bandaogo understood his actions but could offer no motive for the attack, adding Bandaogo doesn’t have a clear memory of his actions that day.
The court heard two psychiatric reports that showed Bandaogo has an “antisocial personality disorder” with “elements of psychopathy”, characterized by having little remorse for violent actions or empathy for those he hurt.
In court this week, two victims described Bandaogo in their victim impact statements as a “monster.”
Bandaogo has a history of violent behaviour, according to information presented in court, including a prior conviction for threatening to stab two strangers in Manitoba.
Because Bandaogo has pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder, he will receive an automatic sentence of life in prison. Eligibility for parole under the Criminal Code of Canada can range from 10 to 25 years in prison.
As part of a joint Crown and defence submission Wednesday, prosecutors and defence lawyers have asked that Bandaogo not be considered eligible for parole for a period of 15 years.
Justice Geoffrey Gaul said Friday he will deliver his final sentencing decision Aug. 31.
The mother of the young woman who was killed – whose identity is protected by a publication ban – described how her daughter’s death had shattered her family’s lives.
Her mother-in-law also described watching her son lose “the love of his life”, just as the couple were planning to build a life together.
“There are no words to describe the devastation this monster has caused to so many people,” she said.
Susanne Till, a single mother of three children, described being rushed to hospital for emergency surgery and losing an eye following Bandaogo's attack. Her children are worried whenever she is away from them, she said.
University student Emma Henderson described suffering panic attacks and being shocked by her own appearance in the aftermath of the attack.
Outside the court on Friday, Crown prosecutor Jean-Benoit Deschamps said he hopes the court process will help the community move forward from the tragic events.
"What we've seen with these three days in court is what an emotionally charged situation it has been, and continues to be," he said.
