Robert Gordon Daignault was found guilty Jan. 24, of manslaughter in the death of Calgary Uber driver Kasif Hirani.
His body was found in a ditch on a rural road south of Cochrane on Dec. 19, 2019, by a local resident out walking his dogs.
“Mr. Hirani was brutally murdered. He was stabbed 39 times,” said Justice Eleanor J Funk in Calgary Court of King’s Bench in her written decision. “He had fractures to his ribs, sternum, and scapula. His stab wounds included injuries to his head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, upper arms, wrists, and hands. His lungs, heart, diaphragm, and liver were damaged.”
Daignault, was charged with first degree murder but by the end of the trial, the Crown amended the indictment to manslaughter.
Court heard that the Crown’s theory is that Daignault, along with two other people, set out to rob Hirani and that Hirani was killed during that robbery. Both of those individuals, Trista Tinkler and Andrew Christal, have been convicted of manslaughter in relation to Hirani’s death. Both testified for the Crown in this trial. Both implicated Daignault in the death of Hirani.
In 2019, Andrew Christal and Trista Tinkler had been friends for many years. At various times in their lives, they had also been romantically involved with each other. In late 2019, Tinkler was romantically involved with Daignault.
In December, Daignault and Tinkler were “couch surfing” at the home of their friend, Lindsie Ogle.
Christal and Daignault knew each other, to some extent, through Tinkler. All three were heavily involved in drug use during this period of their lives. Tinkler was additionally engaged in sex work and drug trafficking.
Tinkler knew the deceased, Hirani. She described him as a “friend.” Hirani was an Uber driver and drove a Kia. There is no suggestion that Hirani was involved in any drug use or criminal lifestyle. The evidence suggests that Hirani was a client of Tinkler’s and the two of them would meet to exchange sex for money.
On the morning of Dec. 29, 2019, Hirani’s body was discovered in a ditch along a rural road. He had been fatally stabbed and left there. Within days, the police identified Daignault, Tinkler, and Christal as persons of interest in relation to his death. In June of 2020, the police charged all three with murder.
Tinkler ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter and a jury convicted Christal of manslaughter. They both testified for the Crown in this trial.
