National

Calgary man found not criminally responsible for five stabbing deaths faces review

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Nov, 2023 03:03 PM

A lawyer for an Alberta man found not criminally responsible for killing five young people at a Calgary house party is asking the province's review board to release him on an absolute discharge.

A hearing has heard that Matthew de Grood had several two-week unescorted passes from an Edmonton group home over the last year to visit his parents in Calgary.

His psychiatrist says de Grood was not required to check in with group home staff while on the passes, and there were no problems.

De Grood was found not criminally responsible for the 2014 stabbing deaths of Zackariah Rathwell, Jordan Segura, Kaiti Perras, Josh Hunter and Lawrence Hong.

Court determined he had been living with undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time and he has since been under psychiatric care.

Each year, the Criminal Code Review Board assesses de Grood's treatment and determines whether he should be allowed any increased privileges or freedoms.

Dr. Oghogho Manuwa told the board Thursday that de Grood is a low risk to reoffend but, if another event were to happen, it could be violent.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Pandemic support lowered B.C.'s child poverty rate

It's the largest one-year drop in the rate since 2000, but one in eight children were still living in poverty, and the report says rates were "dramatically higher" among children living on First Nation reserves and those who recently immigrated.

Pandemic support lowered B.C.'s child poverty rate

MPs want more earthquake donations matched

The federal government has offered to match up to $10 million in donations to the Canadian Red Cross for their partners on the ground to help people who are suddenly homeless. Conservative, Bloc Québécois and New Democrat MPs want to see that expanded to include other groups, an idea that is supported by at least one Liberal MP, Sameer Zuberi.

MPs want more earthquake donations matched

Canadian's body found in Turkey earthquake rubble

Saad Zora says his twin sister Samar was found earlier today by searchers as an excavator dug through pieces of a five-storey building in the city of Antakya. He said, "Samar was found," and added, "she didn't make it."

Canadian's body found in Turkey earthquake rubble

Across the continent, eyes on the sky — and Norad

Three separate objects were blown out of the sky in as many days over the weekend, a flurry of close encounters that followed what U.S. officials say was a Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the continent two weeks ago.

Across the continent, eyes on the sky — and Norad

Big grocery store CEOs called to testify in Ottawa

The proposal to hear from the grocery leaders came from NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, and it received unanimous support from Liberal, Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs. Executives from all three companies, as well as Save-On-Foods, have testified at past committee meetings focused on the rising cost of food — but not their CEOs.

Big grocery store CEOs called to testify in Ottawa

Photojournalist, news outlet sue RCMP over arrest

The claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday argues Bracken didn't breach the injunction because she was there as a journalist and the RCMP were notified that she was a member of the media before, during and after her arrest.