A Chinese national who admitted to carrying out an unprovoked stabbing attack on a TTC subway car in December 2022 was seeking revenge on Canadians because a Canadian doctor blinded him.
The chilling confession was read in a downtown Toronto courthouse Friday out as part of an agreed statement of facts (ASF) at the sentencing hearing for 55-year-old Neng Jia Jin.
Jin pleaded guilty in February to the first-degree murder of 31-year-old Vanessa Kurpiewska and the attempted murder 37-year-old Sulakshana Srijeyarayah, two strangers to Jin who were passengers on a subway train approaching High Park station from Runnymede station on Dec. 8, 2022.
“I stabbed two people today. They are innocent. My eyes were blinded and I’m innocent … I was harmed by you Canadians and now I feel balanced inside,” court heard Jin tell a mandarin police officer after his arrest.
“I had no bad blood with you Canadians, but he blinded my eyes, and I obviously had to take revenge.”
Jin told investigators that initially he wanted to kill people on a TTC bus but couldn’t see clearly on it; It was only later when he was on the subway where he could see more clearly that he decided to kill people.
Both women were sitting on the eastbound train when they were suddenly attacked by Jin. When Jin first got on the subway car, court heard he sat next to a woman with a child in a stroller.
Parents of victim lunge at Jin in court
About 10 minutes into Friday’s hearing, as assistant Crown attorney Bev Richards was discussing the plan for the day with the judge, Kurpiewska’s mother, who was sitting in the body of the court, suddenly stood up and stormed towards the prisoner’s box where Jin was sitting.
She was sobbing and said a few words in Polish before being held back by court officers who escorted her out of the courtroom.
About 40 minutes after the first outburst, as Kurpiewska’s family was leaving the courtroom to take a break, Kurpiewska’s father lunged towards Jin who was seated with his head on his chest looking towards the ground.
He yelled, “Hey, wake up!” before the father left the courtroom. Superior Court Justice Joan Barrett then cautioned observers that they would be asked to leave if they were disturbing the courtroom.
Richards told court on the day of the attacks, Jin left the townhouse where he lived with his daughter and ex-wife near Huntingwood Drive and Midland Avenue around 11 a.m.
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He was captured on video surveillance, which tracked him getting on a TTC bus travelling southbound on Midland Avenue around 11:10 am
“During the ensuing bus ride, he can be seen glancing at female passengers,” said Richards. reading from the ASF.
Jin rode the subway from Kennedy station to Royal York station where he was captured on video surveillance just 90 minutes before following a blonde woman “with a striking resemblance to the deceased, Vanessa Kurpiewska,” Richards said.
The ASF state Jin followed the blonde woman and appeared to watch her every moment. Video surveillance captured the woman trying to evade Jin’s line of sight, and when the subway train arrived on the platform, he ran after her and followed her onto the train.
“He jams his arm in the door of the subway car, managing to prevent them from closing,” said Richards, who added Jin managed to get onto the same subway car.
The woman managed to run off the subway car to safety before Jin could follow her.
Court hears how attack unfolded
Court heard Jin rode the Bloor-Danforth line for the next hour before eventually boarding the eastbound train at Islington station and getting onto the same subway car as Kurpiewska and Srijeyarayah.
Video surveillance on the train captured Jin looking at Kurpiewska, who was sitting in a blue priority seat not far from Sriyerayan, who was sitting in the back of the car. A good Samaritan named Denys Matvyeyev was also on the subway car.
Just after the train pulled out of Runnymede station, Jin was captured on video taking two knives out of his backpack and stabbing Kurpiewska, first using a knife in his right hand and then with a larger knife in his left hand.
Richards said Kurpiewska appeared to recoil while attempting to defend herself. After stabbing his first victim seven times, Richards said Jin turned to Srijeyarajah, who was cornered and seated alone in the back of the subway car.
Richards told court Jin was captured swinging repeatedly at Srijeyarajah as she had her right arm extended to fend him off. After the fifth swing, Matvyeyev can be seen making his way from the seat to the back of the car where he tried to kick at Jin, who responded by swinging at him.
The good Samaritan was finally able to kick one knife out of Jin’s hand, allowing Srijeyarayah to grab it. Jin continues swinging at the second victim and stabs her in the upper torso.
Finally, Matvyeyev kicks at Jin, effectively forcing the accused into the corner of the subway car and helped Srijeyarayah climb over the seats to safety.
“All totaled, Mr. Jin has swung and missed, and stabbed a second victim approximately twenty-seven times,” Richards said.
Matyveyev continued to hold Jin at bay while a second unidentified man, using a child’s stroller car, was able to assist Matyveyev in blocking Jin from leaving the train. As the train arrived at High Park station, it made an emergency stop.
After the attack, Jin was captured on video surveillance standing in the back of the subway car, reaching into his jacket pocket, taking out a bottle of yogurt and having a drink.
Kurpiewska was carried off the train by TTC personnel and as paramedics were trying to treat her on the platform, she became vital signs absent. She later died in hospital. Her cause of death was stab wounds to her chest.
Srjeyarayah was stabbed in the abdomen, left arm, twice in her right hand and twice in her left leg. A tendon was also cut in her finger on her right hand that required plastic surgery.
On July 18, 2023, Jin told doctors he was not worried about his court case.
“He further stated he is pleased about being in jail as he gets food, shelter and gets to see doctors for his vision loss,” said Richards.
Last May, Jin told doctors he had changed and had no thoughts of dying or giving up on life.
“He was hopeful and did not care if he got a life sentence,” Richards added.
Kurpiewska’s sister read out a victim impact statement on behalf of the family Friday
“The pure act of evil that took Vanessa will haunt our family forever,” Kamila Kurpiewska said.
“This senseless act has forever changed our lives and there is not a day that we do not think about what Vanessa endured in her last moments. The nightmares have never stopped.”
Another victim impact statement was read out by assistant Crown attorney Mihael Cole from the woman who Jin followed at High Park Station.
“I still wake up at night having nightmares about the incident. I see the murderous eyes. The deadly stare with haunt me for the rest of my life,” she wrote.
A forensic psychiatrist who assessed Jin found his actions at the time of the attacks were reality-based and motivated by rage, anger and revenge
“He targeted persons he considered vulnerable,” and found his behavior was organized and deliberate, the psychiatrist decided.
Superior Court Justice Joan Barrett has reserved her decision until next month.
First Degree murder is a mandatory sentence with a parole ineligibility period of 25 years. Barrett must still decide on a sentence for the attempted murder conviction which will be served concurrently. After finishing his sentence, 55-year-old Jin will be facing a deportation order as court heard he came to Canada illegally in 2010 and has no status.
