Man convicted of murder in fatal stabbing at Burnaby karaoke club

A man who fatally stabbed another man during a fight at a karaoke club in Burnaby has been convicted of second-degree murder.

Lloyd Jay So, 39, was charged following the attack on Joon Kwan Kim at the OB's Cabin karaoke club at 5152 Kingsway in Burnaby on Sept. 18, 2017.

The two men had been socializing with different groups when So entered a room where Kim was located without being invited.

In her verdict delivered Monday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Janice Dillon concluded So was the aggressor, thought he had a grudge to settle against one of the men accompanying Kim, and was looking for a fight.

So, a Surrey father of two, grabbed the man's wrist and told him he wanted to go outside, but was asked to leave the room.

He did not leave, so was asked by Kim to leave, but again refused to do so.

So threw the first punch and more punches were thrown. So, Kim and two other men in the room got involved, with So being punched and kicked until he was subdued. The accused left the room and returned immediately with a kitchen knife. Two men were injured.

So then stabbed Kim in his leg and belly as he lay on the floor with his hands up. Kim was able to get up and leave the room, but So followed him, yelling “die!” as he continued to stab him.

Police later found Kim dead in a hallway. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds. So had left the club, but was arrested shortly afterward.

The judge noted the identity of So as the killer of Kim was not in question, nor was the fact he had fatally stabbed the victim.

The only issue was whether the accused had the necessary intent to commit murder.

So's lawyer argued that at the time of the slaying, So was in a “dissociative state” and not guilty due to the state of automatism.

The defence also argued the combination of intoxication, blows to the head and “mental disruption” raised a reasonable doubt So had the requisite intent for murder.

So claimed not to be able to remember events surrounding the killing, but the judge rejected those claims, finding him to be neither a reliable nor credible witness.

In a lengthy ruling, the judge said So got angry and then exacted “lethal revenge” on Kim, and was not so intoxicated or mentally impaired he didn't appreciate the consequences of his actions.

A sentencing hearing has been set for May 20.

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no parole eligibility of between 10 and 25 years.

The issue at sentencing will be the parole ineligibility period.