A Winnipeg judge has found a man not criminally responsible for killing his parents and attacking a hospital nursing supervisor.
Court heard Trevor Farley had been in psychosis at the time of the attacks in October 2021.
“These violent and horrific acts took place in less than three hours,” Court of King’s Bench Justice Kenneth Champagne said in his decision Tuesday.
Farley pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in his mother’s death, second-degree murder in his father’s death, and attempted murder in the stabbing of Candace Szkwarek.
A mental health assessment was ordered shortly after police arrested Farley.
Crown prosecutors accepted doctors’ findings that Farley did not understand what he was doing at the time of the attacks.
“By outward appearances, Mr. Farley was leading a productive life,” Champagne said. “Behind closed doors, there were concerns about his mental health.”
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Victim impact statements were heard in court from Szkwarek, her daughter, and two co-workers who witnessed the attack at Seven Oaks General Hospital, where Farley had worked as a nurse.
Jackie Motoch, Szkwarek’s daughter, told reporters outside the courthouse that this case highlights gaps in the province’s health care system. She told the court that mental health supports were not made available, and that the system needs an overhaul. Joining her daughter, Szkwarek noted it was the support of her family that got her through what she said was a difficult chapter in her life.
“Don’t waste a minute, make amends. Life’s too short and it can be gone… (in) mere minutes,” said Szkwarek.
As part of her victim impact statement, Szkwarek said that she didn’t feel safe anywhere and that she had difficult with day-to-day tasks, as a result of the injuries she had. Even then, she crossed the gallery in court to Farley’s family. And in an emotional moment, shared tearful hugs.
“I knew they were feeling awkward, and I just felt the need to go comfort them. (To) tell them I don’t hold anything against them,” said Szkwarek. “Of course, they had nothing to do with it.”
When someone is found not criminally responsible, provincial or territorial mental health review boards determine whether it’s safe for them to be released into the community and what freedoms they should have.
Crown prosecutors and the defense will submit a motion for the court to deem Farley as high-risk. Court will resume on Wednesday to determine whether he should receive that designation. If granted, it could increase the time and security surrounding his detention in a psychiatric hospital.
— With files from The Canadian Press and Global’s Iris Dyck
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