Man Admits Machete Attack on Teenage Coworker at McDonald's, Plans to Plead Not Criminally Responsible

A brutal and tragic incident occurred at a McDonald's in Sundre, Alta., where 28-year-old Solaimane Elbettah attacked and killed his 19-year-old coworker, Josh Burns, using a machete. The trial began with Elbettah admitting to the attack but pleading not criminally responsible (NCR) due to a psychotic break at the time of the killing.

What happen into the McDonlad's?

During the trial, it was revealed that Elbettah and Burns were working the overnight shift at the McDonald's when the fatal attack occurred. They were the only two employees on duty at the time. Prior to the incident, they had smoked together outside the restaurant. Elbettah then left the McDonald's, crossed the street to a nearby motel where he was staying, retrieved a machete, and returned to attack Burns. The vicious assault resulted in a 28-centimeter (11-inch) deep wound to Burns' neck.

Following the attack, Elbettah left Burns on the restaurant floor and proceeded to send text messages to the McDonald's manager, informing her of the murder and advising her to call the police. In the messages, Elbettah stated that Burns had insulted him and belittled him due to racial differences. Subsequently, Elbettah surrendered to the authorities by placing a call to 911, confessing to the killing and expressing his desire to turn himself in.

The defense lawyer, Pawel Milczarek, indicated that he plans to argue that Elbettah was experiencing a psychotic break at the time of the attack, rendering him not criminally responsible for his actions. The court heard that all details surrounding the killing were admitted as part of an agreed statement of facts read aloud by the prosecutor, Vince Pingitore.

If the court finds Elbettah not criminally responsible, he will be directed to a secure psychiatric facility instead of serving time in prison. This outcome would be contingent on the psychiatric assessments and evaluations conducted by both the defense and the Crown.

The trial will likely continue with the presentation of additional evidence and professional psychiatric evaluations to determine Elbettah's mental state at the time of the attack. The legal proceedings are expected to provide further insight into the circumstances surrounding this tragic event and its implications for the legal accountability of the accused.