Vancouver man receives 3-year sentence following stabbing in Tim Hortons

Police say a Vancouver man has been sentenced to prison time in connection with an unprovoked stabbing at a downtown Vancouver coffee shop earlier this year. 

David Morin, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated assault and received a three-year sentence, according to police.

Vancouver police said at the time that the victim was inside the Tim Hortons at Harbour Centre on Jan. 22 at around 6:20 a.m. when a man approached him from behind and repeatedly stabbed him in the back.

The victim, a 25-year-old who was on a tourist visa from Mexico, was rushed to the hospital, police said. He suffered life-threatening injuries, but was expected to survive. Police on Wednesday did not provide an update on the victim's condition. 

Police said Morin fled the scene after the attack and was later identified and arrested after they released video of the attack in the hope it would help the public identify the suspect.

Police said at the time that there had been a string of unprovoked violence in the city over the past month.

Sgt. Steve Addison said data from Sept. 1, 2020, to Aug. 31, 2021, showed there were 1,555 unprovoked stranger assaults involving 1,705 victims.

Vancouver sees rash of violent attacks

3 years ago

Duration 2:03

A string of violent attacks on strangers in Vancouver is prompting concern from police about public safety as the city looks for solutions to address the growing issue.