Crown and defence agree de Grood should be held not criminally responsible
Posted May 24, 2016 1:44 pm.
Last Updated May 24, 2016 1:46 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (NEWS 1130) – Matthew de Grood should be held “not criminally responsible” for committing Calgary’s biggest mass murder ever. That was the argument of both the Defence and Crown this morning, as lawyers presented their closing arguments in the 24-year-old’s first-degree murder trial.
In an agreed statement of facts, de Grood has admitted to killing five young people in the early morning hours of April 15th, 2014, at a University of Calgary house party.
Over four days of testimony, the court heard mentions of werewolves, vampires, and the Illuminati to name a few.
“I respectfully submit there is no evidence that has been called to contradict this (the not criminally responsible defence)” says Fay. “Mr de Grood was incapable of determining what he was doing was morally wrong, he felt they (the victims) were part of the global conspiracy.”
Fay told Justice Eric Macklin that his client was not trying to be cruel and was doing as best he could considering the circumstances. Crown attorney Neil Wiberg then began his sumbission praising the investigative work of the Calgary Police. Wiberg conceded drugs and alcohol did not play a role, something key to de Grood being found “not criminally responsible.”
He made reference to the brutality and efficiency of the act, calling the 24 year old a “killing machine.”
It didn’t take long though for the Edmonton-based prosecutor to come to the conclusion that de Grood was incapable of finding his acts “morally wrong” and that the NCR defence is “fitting.”
