Judge designates Winnipeg man who killed his parents, tried to kill hospital supervisor high risk

A Manitoba judge has designated Trevor Farley a high risk, a day after finding him not criminally responsible due to mental disorder in the deaths of his parents and a "relentless attack" on his former supervisor.

Manitoba Court of King's Bench Justice Ken Champagne found Farley not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder on Tuesday for killing his parents, Judy Swain and Stuart Farley, on Oct. 27, 2021. 

Farley, who had resigned as a nurse at Seven Oaks General Hospital days earlier, was also charged with attempted murder for stabbing his former supervisor, Candyce Szkwarek, several times at the hospital shortly after he killed his parents.

Crown attorney Shannon Benevides had asked Champagne to designate Farley, 39, a high-risk accused — something she said is rare in Canada and would be a first in Manitoba if granted — which Champagne did.

"It's going to take a lot for … [that designation] to get revoked, so I can sleep easier at night," Szkwarek said outside the Winnipeg Law Courts building Wednesday, surrounded by her three adult children.

In an emotional victim impact statement in court on Tuesday, Szkwarek said the physical and psychological tolls from the attack are debilitating and exhausting, and prevent her from doing everyday things without assistance.

On Wednesday, court heard that Farley was in agreement with the high-risk designation.

Champagne said the Crown and Farley, through his defence team, agree his actions "were of such a brutal nature as to indicate a risk of grave physical or psychological harm to another person."

"In these circumstances I think it affords a level of comfort not just to the victims but a level of comfort to our community," said Evan Roitenberg, one of Farley's defence lawyers.

The high-risk designation means Farley will only be permitted conditional or absolute discharges from supervised medical facilities based on the approval of a superior court judge.

Normally, a provincial review board has oversight over the discharge of people found not criminally responsible after a period of rehabilitation.

The provincial mental health review board now has 45 days to hold a hearing on the high-risk designation and come up with a detention and treatment plan for Farley.

Attack 'shattered' sense of safety: judge

Earlier this week, court heard that a team of mental health experts said Farley was suffering from an atypical form of bipolar disorder at the time of the attacks. The effects included depressive and manic episodes, anxious distress and psychotic features.

He has responded to medication, but future assessments on risks he may pose to the public will require close monitoring over time, said Champagne.

"We're talking years," said Champagne. "I believe he will have serious difficulties going forward."

During her victim impact statement on Tuesday, Szkwarek said she has been unable to return to work in the same capacity — much like two of her co-workers, who also spoke in court on Tuesday about living with post-traumatic distress disorder after witnessing the stabbing at Seven Oaks.

Those victim impact statements "captured the devastation they have suffered," Champagne said Wednesday, pointing to the statements as a factor in his decision to designate Farley high risk.

"The common thread running through all statements is one of fear," said Champage.

"The extreme violence inflicted on Ms. Szkwarek and witnessed by her co-workers has shattered their [sense] of safety."

Health system concerns

In the 48 hours before killing his parents and attacking Szkwarek, Farley took himself to two different Winnipeg hospitals and the Mental Health Crisis Response Centre, next to the Health Sciences Centre, multiple times.

After he checked himself into the crisis response centre on the evening of Oct. 26, a team of mental health experts there decided to involuntarily admit him.

But he walked out of the building the next morning. He drove to his father's home in Winnipeg and killed him before driving to his mother's in New Bothwell, where he killed her. 

Farley then returned to St. Boniface Hospital seeking an assessment, but left after speaking with a nurse. He again went to  the crisis response centre and was there for a moment, before he left again and headed to Seven Oaks Hospital, where he stabbed Szkwarek.

She said she has "extreme" concerns Farley was able to walk out of the crisis centre.

"I just can't believe that they don't have anything in place to observe these individuals that are on ... involuntary admission, that they're not provided care," she said.

Roitenberg suggested Farley's repeated failed attempts to get appropriate help while in a state of psychosis expose issues in the health-care system.

"He went to the hospital I think no less than five or six times in the 48 hours prior," he said.

"We need to do better in terms of facilities being able to speak more openly to one another, to be able to intervene when they feel intervention is necessary, and I dare say recognize when intervention is necessary earlier."

Judge designates man found not criminally responsible for killing parents as high risk

1 year ago

Duration 1:32

Trevor Farley, 39, has been designated a high-risk offender one day after a judge found him not criminally responsible for killing his parents and trying to kill his former supervisor all on the same day in 2021.