Supreme Court docket guidelines Simon James Baker was incapacitated by schizophrenia when he stabbed Denise Allick six instances
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A Nanaimo man has been discovered not criminally accountable for stabbing a girl to dying exterior his grandparents’ house as a result of he was psychotic on the time.
In line with a Supreme Court docket of B.C. ruling, on June 20, 2022, Simon James Baker was standing exterior the house on eighth Road in south Nanaimo at round 10 p.m. having a cigarette when he was approached by 41-year-old Denise Allick.
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The pair had by no means met and for no motive Baker pulled out a knife that he was carrying and stabbed Allick six instances within the face, neck and shoulder — with one wound severing her carotid artery, which rapidly led to her dying.
Baker was 21 on the time of the killing and had been identified with paranoid schizophrenia at age 17 when he had delusions that folks had been attempting to interrupt into his house.
In December 2021, Baker believed he was being watched by folks with “reptilian eyes” and he was at one level detained by police below the Psychological Well being Act.
In April 2022, Baker’s grandmother reported to police that he was having a psychotic break and was carrying a machete. He was additionally turning into paranoid about folks trespassing on his grandparents’ property — the place he lived — and was talking about being possessed by a satan.
In late Could of 2022, he was seen on the Nanaimo Normal Hospital emergency ward, the place Baker requested that his remedy dosage be elevated. Baker additionally had cocaine-use dysfunction.
Baker was arrested shortly after the June 20 killing and pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide, admitting that the lethal assault was intentional.
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Nevertheless, it was as much as Justice Douglas Thompson to find out whether or not Baker was not criminally accountable by motive of psychological dysfunction.
“In her assertion given on 22 June 2022, two days after the murder, Mr. Baker’s mom instructed the police that “for the final six months or so, properly the final yr and a half or so actually, he’s fairly paranoid, delusional and really involved about trespassing on his property,” Thompson wrote.
“She additionally reported that her son was talking about how he had been possessed by a demon at his grandparents’ home, and that she had identified for months that he’s positively delusional and paranoid.”
In conclusion, Thompson mentioned “Ms. Allick was evidently on the property the place Mr. Baker lived when she was stabbed. It’s unclear why she was there. Tragically, her presence appears to have triggered Mr. Baker’s psychotic symptomology.
“This can be a tough case, however I’m glad on a stability of chances that within the moments when Mr. Baker stabbed Ms. Allick, he was incapable of rationally contemplating whether or not his conduct within the specific circumstances would have been morally condemned by affordable members of society. Accordingly, I rule that he’s not criminally accountable for this murder by motive of psychological dysfunction.”
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Baker will now be held on the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam the place his future can be decided by the B.C. Overview Board.
Thompson famous the presence of Allick’s family and friends on the ruling and mentioned “I can solely think about how tough this persevering with course of have to be. I wish to let you know that I’m very sorry in your loss.”
On a GoFundMe web page established to pay for Allick’s funeral bills, she was described by her brother as “a mom, sister, daughter and aunty who cherished her household.”
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