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Robert Daignault was immediately concerned within the stabbing loss of life of Uber driver Kasif Hirani and is responsible of manslaughter, a Courtroom of King’s Bench decide dominated Wednesday.
Justice Eleanor Funk concluded essential proof given by Daignault’s co-conspirators to implicate him within the slaying itself was “untrustworthy” given the lies and inconsistencies concerned.
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However she dominated different proof that adopted the killing indicated Daignault’s guilt in killing Hirani, who was stabbed 39 instances and left on the aspect of a rural street close to the Springbank Airport on Dec. 19, 2019.
“Mr. Hirani was brutally murdered,” Funk said in her choice.
“I discover on the very least (Daignault) held Mr. Hirani as he struggled . . . Mr. Daignault participated on this brutal assault.”
Even when Hirani hadn’t been stabbed and easily left on the distant street on a freezing morning, “Mr. Daignault knew or should have recognized Mr. Hirani was uncovered to hazard.”
Daignault, 54, was initially charged with first-degree homicide in Hirani’s loss of life.
However final yr, prosecutor Britta Kristensen advised court docket she was solely looking for a manslaughter conviction in opposition to Daignault after analyzing the proof of star witnesses Trista Tinkler and Andrew Christal, each of whom have additionally been convicted of manslaughter within the case.
She stated there have been adequate consistencies of their variations of what led to the deadly stabbing of Kasif Hirani for Funk to search out Daignault took half within the confinement and theft of the Uber driver which preceded his deadly stabbing.
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On Wednesday, Funk stated Tinkler and Christal’s statements to police and court docket testimony in opposition to Daignault was extraordinarily suspect.
“(Tinkler) used completely different variations of occasions at completely different instances . . . she lied to police and lied below oath,” stated Funk, who nonetheless concluded Daignault was responsible of manslaughter.
Hirani was killed after being taken from outdoors a southwest Calgary residence to a distant nation street within the early morning hours of Dec. 29, 2019, in his personal car.
He was stabbed within the face, neck, stomach, wrist and fingers and likewise suffered harm to inside organs, stated Funk in her choice.
“It was a chronic assault on Mr. Hirani,” she stated.
“It’s affordable to deduce Mr. Hirani tried to defend himself.”
In convicting Daignault of manslaughter, Funk concluded Daignault had been a part of the conspiracy to rob Hirani and drove the useless man’s Kia each earlier than the killing and after.
She famous he twice threatened to make use of a car to hurt approaching police members, as soon as in Calgary on Dec. 30, 2019, and once more a couple of days later in Edmonton, the place an officer was bodily assaulted when the person tried to hurry away in a car stolen from a buddy.
“Mr. Daignault’s conduct was of an individual responsible of excess of stealing automobiles,” stated Funk.
She additionally stated Daignault joined Tinkler in utilizing Hirani’s stolen bank card to buy digital gadgets following the person’s loss of life.
Following the decision, Daignault smiled as he gestured to household or buddies whereas exiting the courtroom.
Sentencing has been set for Feb. 7.
X (Twitter) @BillKaufmannjrn
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