VANCOUVER - The man accused of stabbing three people at a Vancouver Chinatown festival in 2023 while on leave from a psychiatric hospital has testified that he felt compelled by God to carry out the attack.

Blair Donnelly, who has pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated assault at his trial by judge alone at the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, said Tuesday that when he bought a chisel to carry out the attack he had no particular plan to target Chinese people.

All of the victims were Asian.

"I believe the Holy Spirit was leading me to hurt somebody," he told the court.

"I didn't know if it was one person or others. I didn't know when or where, in the vicinity or not, but I just wandered around the main event looking at different people and different opportunities I might have.

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