Troubled man violently stabbed Nanaimo couple who previously cared for him

Sentencing arguments in Nanaimo heard the Crown push for a seven year jail sentence, while the defence requested a time-served sentence and for the offender to transition to an extended tenure at a Lower Mainland residential treatment centre.

The incident resulted in life-threatening injuries to Rick and Barbara King, who allowed Nielsen to stay at their home for about three months ending in February 2021 when he was told he wasn’t welcome anymore.

An agreed statement of facts outlined by the Crown’s Jill Vivian explained that Nielsen left his Boundary Cres. supportive housing apartment in a cab and was dropped off about 400 meters from the crime scene.

The cab driver believed Nielsen was acting uneasy and nervous during the five minute ride.

Nielsen entered the house unexpectedly and immediately became violent.

“Mr. Nielsen stabbed Mrs. King repeatedly with a knife and hit her with a baseball bat while she was on the floor. During the assault Mrs. King told Mr. Nielsen to stop and asked why he was doing this.”

Nielsen presented as “zoned out” and didn’t respond to Barbara’s plea.

Her husband heard the commotion from a different room and entered the kitchen to help his ailing wife.

Nielsen then pushed the man down the stairs.

The offender then continued stabbing the woman. He then stabbed Rick multiple times.

Barbara King, lying on the kitchen floor, somehow managed to call 911 with both paramedics and police immediately responding to the home.

The Kings were rushed to nearby Nanaimo hospital where they both remained conscious and identified Nielsen as their attacker.

Police swarmed the Northumberland Ave. area near the Terminal Park shopping centre following the stabbing. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nielsen was arrested shortly afterward at his supportive housing complex.

He’s been in custody ever since.

Staff at Nielsen’s complex reported he hadn’t taken his prescribed medication for two weeks prior to the incident.

Later the same evening during a sworn statement to Nanaimo RCMP, Nielsen claimed he wasn’t responsible, instead maintaining he was at the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre.

Scratches on his arms consistent with a struggle were the result of his cat, he claimed.

However, when the interviewing Mountie left the room and Nielsen was still being recorded, the offender began to mutter softly, which was amplified to decipher precisely what he was saying.

Nielsen stated demons “are here now”, then remarked how he sloppily threw his knife with his fingerprints onto the street.

“Rick King, he’s not dead yet, he’s not dead at all, you didn’t f***ing stab him enough, you should have stabbed him in the f***ing chest,” Nielsen said, who added “he’s a joke” and he didn’t know what had happened and was going to jail for a long time.

“I stabbed him, I stabbed him, I stabbed him, they were fighting, they were fighting, they were fighting,” Nielsen said to himself in the police interviewing room.

Nanaimo RCMP forensic specialists confirmed Nielsen’s fingerprints were found in the kitchen, while boot impressions in blood in the home were determined to likely belong to him.

The Crown’s Vivian said Nielsen’s post-offence conduct lacked an effort to obtain programming to address his substance use and mental health issues.

She said an extended jail sentence is required to properly punish Nielsen and protect public safety.

A psychiatric report noted Nielsen was in a crystal meth induced psychosis and that using the drug in the future could have deadly consequences.

“The symptoms of psychosis would likely return. In this context, he would be at high-risk of impulsive, violent behavioiur…his violence would likely be targeted at people involved in his delusional beliefs,” the forensic evaluation stated.

The Kings both suffered extensive physical and psychological damage from the stabbings, court was told.

Rick King said they, to this day, live in a constant sate of fear.

“Is he coming back? What did we do to cause this? Why did this happen? We now live in a prison because of one person’s aggression. Will we ever be able to resume our lives without fear? Our lives are changed dramatically and will never be the same.”

His injuries included a severe laceration to his larnyx, causing acute breathing issues. He also had multiple stab wounds to his head, chest, upper back and shoulders

Barbara King’s stab wounds included numerous lacerations to her upper body, including her face, neck. She also suffered brain bleeding.

She said they have security cameras around their home and bars on exterior windows.

“It is no longer our home, it has become our prison.”

She said their lives have become paralyzed and that she’s not the same person.

“Mentally and emotionally I will never be where I was before this attack. I have suffered tremendous anxiety and fear. My entire life now revolves around my awareness of everything I do and places I go,” she wrote.

Defence attorney Roberto Alberto said his client had an extremely challenging upbringing marred by poor mentors, violence and substance abuse.

He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and increasingly used alcohol and hard drugs as he aged.

Alberto said an arrangement is in place for Nielsen to stay for a minimum of six months at a residental treatment centre in Langley.

He said Nielsen has remained sober while in custody, admitting his client would be tempted to use crystal meth again if the drug were presented to him.

He said Nielsen wants to chart a more positive path in his life.

“Removing himself from Nanaimo is the most effective way to start that process,” Alberto said.

Based on how far apart Crown and defence are and the gravity of the offence, judge Tamara Hodge said she would announce her judgment at a later date.

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes

by Ian Holmes

Troubled man violently stabbed Nanaimo couple who previously cared for him

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