Two men have been found guilty of manslaughter in the stabbing death of a 29-year-old man in a Nanaimo park two years ago.
A B.C. Supreme Court jury found Mark Harrison and Aiden Bell guilty on Tuesday, hours after members were sequestered.
A court appearance has been set for Aug. 19 to fix a date for sentencing.
Crown prosecutor Nick Barber told the court that Harrison and Bell were “amped up and engaging in violent assaults on vulnerable individuals” when they attacked Fred Parsons and his friends with bear spray and a knife in Maffeo Sutton Park in September 2022.
In his closing submission on Aug. 2, Barber said Harrison likely started the attack and Bell finished it. “Regardless of who did what, they are both responsible for the death of Mr. Parsons,” he said.
Parsons and friends were in the park’s playground “simply trying to enjoy themselves and be left alone,” Barber told the court.
Prior to the stabbing, Bell and Harrison had been at a nearby parkade, where they confronted and threatened a security guard, Barber said. They then went to the playground, where they confronted Parson and his friends, court heard.
When the assault began, it was foreseeable that it would result in death or serious injury to Parker, Barber said.
Parsons’ mother said shortly after her son’s death that he had gone to the park with two friends, including his “sweetheart and soulmate” Rosie and his small dog.
The group had stopped to ride the swings when they were attacked with bear spray, Cindy Parsons said.
The stabbing occurred about 11:30 p.m. Fred Parsons was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Parsons was born with disabilities but “he worked harder than anyone we know to compensate for his challenges,” his obituary said.
“He also had unique talents where he excelled such as drone nature videography. Fred had diverse interests and he had exciting plans for his future. He had chapters left unwritten in the story of his life.”
Cindy Parsons said her son was much-loved, admired and respected.
“He was only 29 and he had dreams, goals and passions to explore.
“He believed in fairness, kindness, justice, generosity and respect and he lived out those truths.”
