A 30-year-old man, now diagnosed with schizophrenia, has pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing an 18-year-old friend in Saskatoon following an argument over marijuana and unfounded sexual assault allegations.
Walid Adam Mohamed, 30, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench to second-degree murder on the opening morning of his trial. Mohamed was originally charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mohammed Omar but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
Court heard Mohamed stabbed Omar in a vehicle and a convenience store in Saskatoon’s Sutherland neighbourhood on April 24, 2016. It was Saskatoon’s fifth homicide of 2016.
Detectives from the Saskatoon police major crimes and forensic identification units investigate after a man died in the Sutherland area on April 24 in Saskatoon. (Michelle Berg / The StarPhoenix)
According to an agreed statement of facts, Mohamed and Omar were friends through Saskatoon’s Muslim community but got into an argument while going to buy marijuana at the Mac’s parking lot on Central Avenue. Crown prosecutor Matthew Miazga said Mohamed stabbed Omar in the stomach while they were driving, then chased him into the convenience store and stabbed him multiple times.
The Crown said Omar — who had moved to Saskatoon from Winnipeg to help take care of a friend’s autistic child — bled to death after being stabbed 15 times and cut another nine times.
The two men were arguing over marijuana, the money they had procured to buy the marijuana and, most notably, Mohamed accusing Omar of sexual assaults that were never substantiated. Miazga said Mohamed made similar allegations against people when he was working in southern Saskatchewan.
Court heard that bouncers working at the nearby Sutherland bar went over to Mac’s after a witness told them he saw a man running into the store while being followed by another man holding a knife. The clerk had left the store and said a man was stabbing another man inside. According to the agreed facts, witnesses tried to coax the assailant outside, and heard him say something to the effect of “What would you do if he raped my sister?”
Mohamed was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but court heard that experts concluded he was “well aware of his actions,” even though his belief that the victim had sexually assaulted his sister was delusional. He knew his actions were wrong and he appreciated the nature of the act, doctors found.
The judge, Crown and defence agreed that video of the stabbing did not need to be played in open court. Instead, the Crown described still images taken from the video, noting that at no time did Omar fight back while Mohamed stabbed him repeatedly, took a break, and then continued the knife attack in the Mac’s store.
The Crown is seeking the mandatory minimum parole eligibility for second-degree murder, which is 10 years. Victim impact statements and sentencing will resume Tuesday afternoon.
Detectives from the Saskatoon police major crimes and forensic identification units investigate after a man died in the Sutherland area on April 24 in Saskatoon. (Michelle Berg / The StarPhoenix)
