Poorman lunged twice at the manager. One jab hit a lamp he was carrying; the other punctured his chest. She threatened another employee with the knife, which he was able to knock away with a broom until Poorman left the store, court heard.
He said the manager was fairly certain about Poorman’s identity. She initially told police she was never at the business, but revealed her motiveIn his victim impact statement, the manager, who received stitches for both internal and external chest injuries, described experiencing anxiety and paranoia, triggered by knives and flashbacks when he walks through the building. He said he feels sorry for the other staff members traumatized by the attack.
Defence lawyer Marie-Therese Bayda said her client, who is from the Kawacatoose First Nation, had a transient upbringing. Poorman described feeling discriminated against, even among some of her family, for being both Indigenous and Vietnamese, Bayda said.“Alicia’s life is part and parcel of the systemic and colonialization effects of residential schools,” she said.
“She also explains that there are times in her life when she acts as if she is not in control of herself — as if she is a mere puppet to someone or something else’s will,” Bayda said.