Accused in downtown homicide was under weapons ban

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This article was published 28/03/2022 (1377 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 26-year-old Winnipeg man charged last week in a downtown homicide had been sentenced in December for weapons possession, under a 10-year ban following a 2017 stabbing.

Prasad Biswa, 40, was assaulted March 23 on the 400 block of Edmonton Street. He died from his injuries.

Kody Terrance Joseph Pangman was arrested March 25, and charged with second-degree murder and carrying a concealed weapon.

The Winnipeg Police Service has not made public the circumstances of the slaying near Central Park — and did not respond to Free Press questions about Pangman’s arrest Monday — but court documents show past assault and weapons convictions for the accused.

The latest charges have not yet been tested in court.

On Dec. 13, Pangman pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose in a provincial court hearing presided over by Judge Raymond Wyant. Pangman was sentenced to six months — less the 75 days he had already spent in custody — after a joint recommendation by the Crown and defence.

Court heard on Oct. 21, WPS community support officers were patrolling near Air Canada Park when a man reported the theft of his bicycle, providing photos of the bike.

Three days later, community support officers saw a male suspect riding the stolen bike near Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street. Police took the man — Pangman — into custody nearby.

A search of his backpack found a black axe with its handle covered in tape and a can of bear spray. Pangman was subject to bail conditions and three weapons prohibitions at the time.

His defence counsel told court Pangman said he carried the weapons for protection, as he had been seriously assaulted weeks prior. However, his counsel said, Pangman knew it is not how he should be handling safety concerns and wanted to move forward.

Wyant asked Pangman whether he heard what his lawyer said; Pangman said he did.

“I hope so, otherwise it’s just a merry-go-round and you’re coming back to see us for longer and longer sentences,” Wyant said, before issuing his ruling.

One of the prohibitions ordering Pangman not to carry weapons or firearms for 10 years was granted June 28, 2018, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a weapon.

Court heard Pangman was at a William Avenue party at around 5:30 a.m. July 22, 2017, when a group argument turned physical.

Pangman stabbed a female cousin once in the lower right abdomen with a knife, before stabbing her boyfriend three times in the forearm. Both were taken to Health Sciences Centre in unstable condition, but recovered, court heard.

Court heard Pangman, who likely has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, has family affected by the 60s Scoop and residential schools. His mother — who in 2018 had cancer and was expected to live two years, court was told — went to the last residential school in Saskatchewan; his father died in a vehicle accident prior to his birth.

In 2018, Pangman told associate chief Judge Anne Krahn he was sorry for his mistakes.

He was sentenced to 150 days in custody to be served concurrently for the two charges, two years of supervised probation and a 10-year weapons prohibition.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera