Convicting mentally ill teen would undermine justice system: defence
The lawyer for an Igloolik teen accused of murder says there's "no denying the tragedy" but that convicting a person with a mental illness would undermine the justice system.
Shayne Kert says her client cannot be held criminally responsible for 26-year old Tracy Uttak's death on account of a mental disorder.
The accused, who was 16 at the time and can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is charged with second-degree murder. Uttak, a mother of four, was found stabbed to death in her home in Igloolik on Nov. 29, 2012.
In her final arguments Thursday to Justice Andrew Mahar in Iqaluit, Kert linked her client's history of mental illness to the offence. A psychiatrist testified earlier this week that the accused likely has schizophrenia.
Kert said the teen had auditory hallucinations both before and after his incarceration. She describes him as a teen who was scared, confused and kept quiet about a major mental disorder. The teen told friends he wanted the voices in his head to stop and to be able to "live normal."
She said just hours before the killing, the teen's mother took him to see a psychiatric nurse. The mother said he was given "anti-agitation medication" and was told to call if her son "got into crisis."
The Crown will continue its final arguments on Friday morning.
