The former girlfriend of a man charged with first-degree murder of his mother, Kathleen Hatcher, testified at his trial Thursday.
Just six weeks before Kathleen Hatcher was allegedly stabbed by her son, Colin Hatcher, the former girlfriend said she learned that Colin had told his mother he planned to kill her.
Kathleen Hatcher, 69, was found lying in the snow in a wooded area of Kings Hill Park near Bloor Street and Old Mill Road on Feb. 26, 2021 around 11 a.m.
A forensic investigator who examined the scene has testified that she had been stabbed to death.
Julie Amado, the former girlfriend, recalled that on Jan. 19, 2021, she and Colin were driving in his car when he told her that he was concerned there was a listening device recording their conversation, so he didn’t want to talk.
Amado said Colin pulled into a park and got out of the car before he said he had spoken to the prime minister about how Amado was stealing from the food bank.
She testified she was surprised by the comment, knowing she had not stolen anything from the food bank.
Amado said she realized that Colin’s mother was parked next to them in the parking lot. She said she noticed Colin and his mother whispering to one another and his mother told her not to go back into Colin’s car.
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Amado testified Kathleen Hatcher turned to her and said, “Did you hear what he said? Are you here to help me kill Julie?”
Amado appeared upset as she was asked about her reaction to the comment. “I was like, I’m scared. I was shocked because he knows where I live,” Amado said during the trial.
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She said Colin’s mother drove her home and told her about her son’s mental health issues.
“We had a conversation. She told me a few stories. She told me that when (he) was in Grade 8, he got professional help. They were scared. They had a family history. They had an aunt who died of mental problems,” said Amado.
Amado testified that Colin’s mother also told him that she and her son had gone to Niagara Falls. “She told me when they went back home, Colin told her we have to come back because I have to meet a guy to kill you.”
Colin’s sister, Laura Hatcher, already testified in March 2018 that her brother was involuntarily hospitalized after his father sought a court order because Colin threatened to kill both parents.
Laura Hatcher said when Colin was discharged from hospital, he made his father the Substitute Decision-Maker (SDM) in order to help him make decisions about his psychiatric care.
Laura told court that Colin did not want his mother to be his SDM.
Amado also relayed a story about how when Colin was in hospital, she asked her son if she could go to his apartment to feed his cat. “She said he said he’d rather let the cat die.”
The girlfriend said Colin’s mother told her not to tell her son what she had told her.
Amado said after Colin’s mother dropped her off at home, she went to stay with a friend for a week because he knew where she lived. She said she called Colin and told him not to come near her before he hung up the phone.
“After a few days, he said, ‘I’m sorry that happened. I’m not myself,’ and he told me, ‘If you need help, let me know.'” Amado said a few days later, he messaged her again and asked if they could meet up to talk.
Amado said she declined because she was scared and had never been threatened before.
Amado said she had met Colin in 2016 or 2017 on a dating app, and described him as a nice, soft-spoken guy who all of a sudden was different.
In April 2019, Amado said the two moved into together and said they never had an argument. During that time, she said Colin worked a number of jobs until he got laid off due to COVID.
She remembered he took medication for anxiety and depression but did not notice strange behaviour until November 2020 when Colin began struggling with his sleep, was withdrawn and began acting paranoid.
Amado recalled that he wanted to turn off the Wi-Fi because he was worried someone was listening in to their conversations and began communicating with her by writing notes.
She also said that Colin would take the notes outside and burn them to ensure they wouldn’t be read.
Amado said she was very concerned about her boyfriend’s behaviour and agreed with defence lawyer Mary Cremer, who suggested Colin frequently spoke to her about his fear of being watched and followed.
She said she moved out on Jan. 1, 2021. Before she left, she asked Colin if he needed some help or counselling. Amado said Colin told her, “It’s not about you. It’s about me. You have to move out. It’s not safe for you to be here.”
Crown prosecutor Paul Zambonini has told Superior Court Justice Shaunt Nakatsuru the issue at trial is not who did it, but rather what was Colin’s state of mind. “The real dispute is going to be at the time of the killing, what was Mr. Hatcher’s state of mind? And was he criminally responsible?”
The trial continues.
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