Victor Alvarado pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the fatal stabbing of his friend, Orlando Donaldson.
The court considered aggravating factors including the use of a knife, the significant victim impact, and the offender's criminal record, which included prior violent offences involving a knife.
Mitigating factors included the genuine guilty plea, remorse, the triable issue of self-defence, the causal link between his paranoid schizophrenia and his actions, and the harsh pre-trial detention conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The court emphasized denunciation and individual deterrence, noting that general deterrence is less significant when mental illness drives behaviour.
A sentence of six years incarceration was imposed, with credit for pre-trial custody.