Verdict delayed for Kitchener man accused in triple stabbing

A judge has found that a man stabbed three people, but a formal guilty verdict has been delayed. CTV’s Jeff Pickel explains why.

A verdict was expected Wednesday at the trial of a Kitchener man accused of killing his girlfriend and stabbing two others – but the proceedings did not go as expected.

Justice Gibson was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Dylon Moreira was guilty of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

But, the judge said, he was holding off on delivering a verdict as the defense wanted to determine if Moreira was Not Criminally Responsible (NCR).

As part of that process, the accused will undergo an assessment to determine if he was experiencing a mental disorder at the time of the attack.

A hearing has been set for April 24.

History of the case

Moreira was accused of fatally stabbing his 41-year-old girlfriend at a Cayley Court home in November 2022. He was also charged with stabbing her 7-year-old daughter, as well as his 51-year-old mother.

CTV News decided not to name the two adult victims as it might inadvertently reveal the child’s identity, which was protected by a publication ban.

At trial, the now 10-year-old girl testified that her brother put a virus on Moreira’s computer and that was what allegedly sent him into a fit of rage. She was stabbed a total of nine times.

Moreira’s mother admitted on the stand that her son had anger issues and, on the day of the attack, she tried to hide in the bathroom.

“He had a knife. He must have, because I was being stabbed,” she said. “Blood just started coming out of me.”

A forensic scientist also testified that multiple drugs were found in Moreira’s system, including methamphetamine and haloperidol, an anti-psychotic drug.

Moreira took the stand in his own defense. He told the court the couple’s argument escalated into violence, but claimed his girlfriend stabbed him first and he only acted out of self-defense.

“I stabbed [her]. The voices were telling me to protect myself,” Moreira explained.

His girlfriend was stabbed 21 times.

Judge’s comments

On Wednesday, Justice Gibson praised the girl for her bravery in court.

He described her as “an intelligent young person who can communicate clearly,” adding that her testimony was credible.

As for the accused, the judge did not believe Moreira’s story that his girlfriend attacked him first.

“He did not need to stab her 21 times to defend himself,” said Justice Gibson, noting Moreira’s claims were “not supported by evidence.”

He also addressed the severity of the attack.

“[You] stabbed the victim, left the victim, then returned to continue to stab her.”

With reporting from Spencer Turcotte and Jeff Pickel.