Winnipeg man accused of killing parents, stabbing co-worker will undergo psychiatric assessment

A Manitoba man charged with killing his parents and the attempted murder of his former supervisor will undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine whether he's criminally responsible for the 2021 attacks.

Trevor Robert Farley is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 73-year-old mother, Judy Swain, and second-degree murder in the death of his father, Stuart Farley, also 73. 

Farley has also been charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his former supervisor at Seven Oaks Hospital in Winnipeg on Oct. 27, 2021, the same day his parents were killed.

At a Tuesday court appearance for the accused, Manitoba Court of King's Bench Justice Ken Champagne granted an application from the Crown for an assessment to determine whether Farley, who was 37 years old at the time of the attacks, was suffering from a mental disorder at that point and was not criminally responsible. 

In Canada, a person can be found not criminally responsible if mental illness is determined to be a factor that made it impossible for them to understand the nature of their actions or know they were wrong. 

Crown prosecutor Shannon Benevides said Farley had communicated through counsel that he was raising the not criminally responsible designation as a defence.

His lawyer, Laura Robinson, took no issue with the application Tuesday.

Farley is charged in a series of attacks that happened on Oct. 27, when Judy Swain's body was found in her home in the rural community of New Bothwell, just southeast of Winnipeg.

Stuart Farley was found dead in a home on Winnipeg's Toronto Street the same day.

Police allege that after killing his parents, Trevor Farley drove to Seven Oaks Hospital in Winnipeg, where he worked as a nurse, and stabbed a nursing supervisor there 14 times. He was arrested there after being tackled by a doctor.

Last year, unsealed court documents — written by investigators to get search warrants —included details about what police believed happened leading up to those attacks. 

Left mental health crisis centre: court documents

The court documents say Farley had been ordered to be involuntarily assessed by a psychiatrist at the Mental Health Crisis Response Centre, near Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, on the morning of the attacks — but he walked out of the facility hours later. 

According to the documents written by RCMP and Winnipeg police, Farley sought help for mental health issues on Oct. 26, 2021, and spent the night at the crisis centre.  

He was reassessed on the morning of Oct. 27, and a decision was made to admit him to be involuntarily assessed by a physician, the court documents say. 

The search warrant documents say what's referred to as a "Form 4" was completed. That allows an individual to be taken to a psychiatric facility for an assessment by a psychiatrist when they are either unwilling or unable to consent to a voluntary assessment.

However, around 11:45 a.m. — about three hours after the form was filled out — Farley walked out of the facility's front door, the court document alleges.

The RCMP officer noted in the search documents that he read the application for the involuntary assessment. The doctor who filled out the form wrote that Farley had a disorganized thought process, believed he was a prophet, had delusions and auditory hallucinations, and had intense suicidal thoughts.

After Farley left, Crisis Response Centre staff called 911, as per the centre's policy, as well as Farley's estranged wife, according to the document.

Police allege that after leaving the Crisis Response Centre shortly before noon, Farley went to his father's home on Toronto Street in Winnipeg, and after killing Stuart Farley there, drove to New Bothwell, where he killed his mother. He drove from there to Seven Oaks Hospital, police say.

None of the allegations against Farley have been tested in court.

At Tuesday's hearing, Justice Champagne granted 30 days for an assessment order to be conducted by Manitoba Shared Health. If an assessment cannot be conducted during that time, the Crown can ask for an extension.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. CT).
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.
• First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310.
• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
• This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.