Preliminary hearing begins in case of fatal Vancouver stabbing

The judge overseeing the preliminary inquiry in the case of a B.C. man accused of stabbing another man to death outside a Vancouver cafe last year has placed a sweeping publication ban on all submissions and evidence given in the courtroom.

Inderdeep Singh Gosalis facinga charge of second-degree murder for allegedly stabbingPaul Schmidt, 37, in the patio area of a Starbucks near the intersection of Granville Street and Pender Street in the city's downtown core on March 26, 2023.

The publication ban was issued in the opening minutes ofSingh Gosal'sprovincial court hearing in Vancouver on Monday. The ban will remain in place if the case goes to trial.

Singh Gosal, 33,was arrested at the scene of the homicideafter bystanders alerted a constable patrolling the area, Vancouver police told CBC News at the time.

Officers tried to save Schmidt, but he died in hospital.

Schmidt's mother says she was told the dispute began after her son asked another man not to vape near his toddler daughter.

The killing was captured in a gruesome video shared on social media.

Schmidt's mother previously described him as a hard worker and easygoing, adding that he was a great dad and his fiance and daughter meant everything to him.

A preliminary inquiry is a judicial hearing used to establish whether Crown has enough evidence against an accused to proceed to trial.