Sentencing for a man convicted in the 2023 Surrey bus stabbing has been delayed after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled more testimony is required.
Kaiden Mintenko, 21, of Burnaby, was found guilty of manslaughter in March for the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy on a Route 503 bus along King George Boulevard on April 11, 2023.
Mintenko’s sentencing was scheduled for October 2 in New Westminster but was paused pending expert evidence. Justice Terry Schultes said a psychological assessment raised “highly relevant” issues that need to be examined in detail before a proper sentence can be imposed.
“It’s not appropriate for Mr. Mintenko to languish,” Schultes said, stressing the need to resolve disputed facts with the help of the report’s author and possible testimony from Mintenko himself, expected via video link.
The court will reconvene on October 23 to set a hearing date, which could span up to three days.
During trial, evidence showed Mintenko told the victim to “watch your back” before stabbing him once in the chest with a large knife, piercing the third rib and lung. The teen died later at Royal Columbian Hospital.
Crown prosecutors argued Mintenko’s actions were deliberate, but the judge ruled alcohol, marijuana use, and impulsive behaviour created reasonable doubt about intent for murder, resulting in a manslaughter conviction.
Publication bans remain in place protecting the victim’s identity and several witnesses.
