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A Court of King’s Bench judge has ruled that Thomas Hamp was not criminally responsible for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Emily Sanche.
In his decision on Thursday, Justice Grant Currie said Hamp was “likely operating under a mental disorder that rendered him incapable of knowing that doing so was wrong” when he attacked Sanche on February 20, 2022.
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Hamp used a kitchen knife to stab Sanche’s in the chest in their shared Saskatoon apartment early that morning. He then stabbed himself twice with a multitool knife blade.
Sanche was sent to the hospital where she died on March 16, 2022. Hamp was subsequently charged with second-degree murder.
According to the decision, during Hamp’s discussions with psychiatrists and in his testimony, he indicated that he stabbed Sanche because “he believed that he was doing so to save her from her worst fate.”
Court documents detailed Hamp’s mental state, saying he was experiencing delusions for several months leading up to Sanche’s death. He believed he was being monitored through his cell phone screen protector and through the video game Tetris.
Hamp had also indicated that he believed “the secret police” were going to take him and Sanche away to torture and kill them.
Dr. Shabehram Lohrasbe, an experienced psychiatrist, was the only expert witness to testify at the trial.
Lohrasbe’s evaluation of Hamp revealed that he has a history of obsessive compulsive disorder and cannabis use disorder, with each one being associated with the subsequent diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.
The evaluation also said that psychosis was the dominant factor behind Hamp’s violence the day he stabbed Sanche.
A public statement from Sanche’s family said they were unaware Hamp had mental health issues until after the stabbing.
“Our deepest regret is that (Sanche’s) suffering and death were entirely preventable,” the statement read.
The family said they accept the judge’s decision, but expressed disappointment that the Crown did not obtain its own psychiatric expert to testify in the trial.
Hamp’s “actions have robbed (Sanche) of the opportunity to live a long and fulfilling life,” the family’s statement read, adding that Sanche “did not and would not choose to sacrifice her life for (Hamp).”
