VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A man has been found not criminally responsible in a terrifying stabbing spree at an apartment building in Vancouver’s West End last year.

Jerome Bonneric’s lawyer, Bob Bellows, says before the attack, his client suffered major depression and had psychotic episodes.

He’ll be staying in a local forensic psychiatric hospital, with his first hearing before a review board in 45 days. After that, hearings will take place on an annual basis.

“It’s our hope to be able to have him repatriated to France to a psychiatric hospital in that country. But that’s down the road,” says Bellows.

Seven of Bonneric’s neighbours were stabbed with a kitchen knife, but no one was killed in the building on Barclay Street.

“Some of the women who were assaulted have been at the court proceedings,” says Bellows.

“They understand that he was ill and to their credit, they have forgiven him and they appreciate that that was not really Mr. Bonneric; that was a mentally ill person.”