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Kelowna News

Judge rules Grossmith not criminally responsible

Harry Grossmith outside Kelowna Courthouse Friday November 21, 2014. His son, Conor Grossmith, was found not criminally responsible for killing his mother Kathleen Grossmith with a hammer in 2012 due to a mental disorder.
KELOWNA - Conor Grossmith is not criminally responsible for the 2012 murder of his mother Kathleen Gilchrist.
 
Grossmith, 26, has been in Kelowna Supreme Court every day this week as lawyers try to sort out whether he is guilty of second degree murder or not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
 
Complicating the case is that he was extremely intoxicated the night he used a hammer to attack his mother, however two forensic psychiatrists testified that the primary factor behind the act was a pre-existing mental disorder.
 
Kathleen Gilchrist died in hospital Sept. 22, 2012 as a result of her injuries.
 
The Crown did not dispute the testimony of the medical professionals and agreed with Justice Alison Beames' decision that Grossmith did not know what he was doing was morally wrong.
 
"The Crown is in agreement with the defense that the prerequisites... have been established in the evidence in this case and the verdict... is the proper verdict," said Crown lawyer Frank Dubenski.
 
Beames says there is no doubt Grossmith was responsible for the attack but based on his extensive history of mental illness and actions after his arrest, including licking his mother's blood from his hands while in police custody, favours a "treatment-focused sentence".
 
"Conor Grossmith suffers from a major mental illness," she said. "He was incapable of knowing the act was wrong."
 
 Grossmith will remain in the care of psychiatric hospital until such a time as decided by a review board.
 
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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