Delusions led to fatal attack on father, says psychiatrist

Ian Hammond was psychotic and delusional when he fatally stabbed his father 14 months ago, a forensic psychiatrist told a judge Wednesday.

The then 18-year-old was convinced John Hammond was going to kill him, that he was defending himself when he repeatedly stabbed the 69-year-old man with a butcher knife.

Dr. Jeff Van Impe, who assessed the young man during a two-month stay at the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in Penetanguishene, Ont., after the March 15, 2014 murder, said he believes Ian should be found not criminally responsible (NCR) for his actions on that evening.

After hearing Van Impe's three-hour testimony, prosecutor David Kirk and defence lawyer Don Orazietti agreed that Hammond should be declared NCR and returned to Waypoint, where he has been institutionalized since August of last year.

Superior Court Justice Alexander Kurke will give his decision Thursday.

Hammond has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the attack on his father who died from a stab wound to his chest.

Van Impe based his opinion on the accused's interactions with him, as well as others, such as nurses, a psychologist and social worker at the facilty.

He also reviewed an Ontario Provincial Police occurrence report, statements from Ian's family and friends, medical reports from his family doctor and a Sudbury psychiatrist who had treated him prior to the incident, and viewed a video statement Ian gave police on March 16.

When Hammond spoke to the police, he said he used the knife to defend himself, that every little piece came together that day, and "I knew I didn't have much time."

It had to be him or his dad, and he knew that was his last chance, he told the officers.

When he saw his father reach out to a knife drawer as they were making dinner, Ian, who was cutting lettuce for a salad, believed in his mind that John was going to attack him.

His delusions spurred him to stab his dad, Van Impe said.

Ian described it as "just survival," explaining it would be wrong to let his father hurt him.

This wasn't an individual who hated his father, but someone who was in survival mode, who felt he had to do something before his father did something to him, the psychiatrist said.

Van Impe testified Ian said there was a part of him that felt bad about what he had done, but he also felt a sense of relief afterwards because he felt safe when police arrested him.

His story was consistent - he was a person who was scared, terrified and acted violently before violence was perpetrated upon him, Van Impe said.

"He thought he was morally right based on the delusions he focused on the victim."

A few months before the attack, Ian began to become suspicious of his father.

He was convinced that when his father was yelling at the television during a hockey game that he was actually yelling at him, that his entire family had devised code words to communicate about him and were plotting against him.

"All this fed into his decision not to go on a trip to Jamaica," with his father in January 2014, Van Impe said.

"He told me he was going to be killed there or enslaved there," the forensic psychiatric expert said.

"He thought his father would sell him or kill him to collect insurance."

Ian was already psychotic in January and using substances, such as marijuana and ecstacy, which were making his untreated disorder worse, he said.

In the fall of 2013, Hammond was attending Cambrian College in Sudbury, but was having difficulty adjusting.

His substance abuse increased, he wasn't going to classes, had difficulty sleeping and had a number of symptoms of depression.

This raised a red flag to his mother and his doctor, who prescribed anti-depressants.

In the following months, he was referred to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and prescribed a stimulant medication.

He stopped taking the anti-depressant because he said it made him feel suicidal, and as his mental health deteriorated and paranoia increased he was prescribed anti-psychotic medication, which he didn't take.

Van Impe said the young man is still psychotic, is often seen laughing and talking to himself at the hospital.

Because of his untreated psychosis and substance abuse, his risk is much elevated to the general population, the witness said.

The first couple months he was at the facilty, he wouldn't take any medication, but now is taking anti-psychotic medications and anti-depressants,  Van Impe said.

"He should come back to us." 

Previous SooToday coverage of this story:

Son appeared 'intent on killing' during knife attack on father: witnesses

Victim identified in Blind River murder