Man with Huntington’s to stand trial for wife’s murder
Posted September 30, 2011 2:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CHILLIWACK (NEWS1130) – A Chilliwack man who suffers from Huntington’s Disease has been found mentally fit to stand trial for the murder of his wife, even though he doesn’t know what year it is.
The Crown and defence agree David George Miller came home on a hospital daypass, grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed his wife on Boxing Day, 2006.
He then told his daughter to call the police and sat out on the porch and waited to be arrested.
The issue is whether Miller’s condition is so severe that he can’t communicate with his lawyer.
“Mr. Miller could not correctly give his birth date and demonstrated an inability to know what day or year it was; and an inability to perform mental tasks such as subtracting by threes, spelling words backwards, interpreting proverbs, and repeating phrases,” BC Supreme Court Justice Brian Joyce said in his ruling. “He does not appear to be completely devoid of comprehension or the ability to process verbal communication.”
However, Joyce notes Miller’s condition is deteriorating.
“It may be that before this matter can be concluded Mr. Miller’s cognitive capacity will fall to such a level that a finding of unfitness would be appropriate,” Joyce said. “The issue can be re-visited if counsel or the court believes that to be the case, but I am not satisfied at this time that Mr. Miller is unfit to stand trial.”
No trial date has been set.
