Accused in Vancouver Chinatown triple-stabbing appeared in court Friday

The man accused of randomly stabbing three people in Vancouver’s Chinatown on Sunday made his first court appearance Friday.

This was the first time 64-year-old Blair Evan Donnelly sat before a judge.

A publication ban has been put in place for the details that come to light during the hearing.

Donnelly is charged with three counts of aggravated assault connected to Sunday’s attack which left three people with non-life-threatening injuries.

Related Articles:

• BC Review Board ignored ‘desperate warning’: Victims’ rights advocate

• B.C. appoints former Abbotsford police chief to investigate circumstances of Chinatown stabbing

• Chinatown stabbing suspect previously deemed ‘significant threat’ by review board

  ---

On Thursday, CityNews obtained an April BC Review Board report that deemed Donnelly a “significant threat” who needs” significant supervision.”

The board’s decision also described his mental health history, including “rapid deteriorations” of his mental health.

The incident prompted Premier David Eby to task former Abbotsford Police Chief Bob Rich to investigate how Donnelly could have been granted leave from a psychiatric hospital in Coquitlam.

“I look forward to being able to move on to the second stage of making the review board more accountable generally, given the fact things are obviously much worse than they appeared.”

Eby, who used to be the province’s Attorney General, a portfolio in charge of overseeing cases like this, has not given Rich an end date for this investigation, telling him to come back with answers, “as quickly as you can.”

“British Columbians need to know, I need to know, how this guy was released. I need to know if there’s anybody else out there that matches this profile that presents a danger to British Columbians — that’s the number one job.”

With the board being provincially appointed, there are some who wonder what else can be done. Some victims, advocates, and critics are calling for those responsible for his release to lose their jobs.

In 2006, Donnelly stabbed his 16-year-old daughter to death in Kitimat and according to the board, he also had plans to kill his wife. He was found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder. He has also been involved in two violent incidents while in custody.