Twenty-three-year-old Martin Vandenberg has been found Not Criminally Responsible for the murder of his mother on Salt Spring Island due to a mental disorder.
Heather Jones’ body was found at a duplex on Maliview Drive on Dec. 6, 2017.
The day before his mother’s body was found at her home, Vandenberg had sought help for mental health issues at Lady Minto Hospital.
In 2018, a judge ruled that he was fit to stand trial given that he was sufficiently able to understand trial proceedings based on an assessment by a psychiatrist at B.C.’s Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.
“A person is not found Not Criminally Responsible just because they are suffering from a mental illness at the time of the commission of the crime; it must also be proven they did not have the capacity to appreciate their actions, know right from wrong at the time of the offence, or if they were not in control of their behaviour because of their mental illness.”
CHEK News reporter Mary Griffin is at the courthouse and will provide details and reaction.
MORE TO COME
The body of Heather Jones was found Dec 6, 2017 (Credit: Facebook).
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