Surrey mom found guilty of second-degree murder in daughter’s death

NEW WESTMINISTER (NEWS 1130) – Lisa Batstone has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the smothering death of her eight-year-old daughter Teagan in December 2014.

The verdict was handed down inside a packed courtroom in New Westminster Friday afternoon.

Batstone faces an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years. A sentencing hearing date has been set for June 12.

RELATED: Lisa Batstone, accused of killing daughter Teagan, fit for trial

Lawyers argued the killing was partially motivated by resentment against the girl’s father.

A rally in support of him took place outside the courthouse.

Victim’s father relieved ‘monster’ ex-wife convicted

Now that his ex-wife has been convicted of second-degree murder, her father hopes Lisa Batstone spends the rest of her life locked up.

The judge didn’t accept defense claims she’s guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Gabe Batstone says he’s relieved Lisa will spend at least ten years in prison before she can seek parole, but this verdict doesn’t make him happy.

“You know, we don’t have Teagan, but I think Teagan would be happy that we were here to support her. I’ll love her every day. We’ll always love her and that’s all that we can focus on,” he says.

Hearing the verdict, he says he is relieved.

“You worry about the worst-case scenario. There’s no victory, there’s no happiness, Teagan remains dead today as she will be tomorrow, and every day,” he says. “We have our memories, but that there was some accountability for that act, and that there’s protection for children from this monster going forward is important to us.”

Gabe says he he hasn’t spoken to Lisa since she was arrested, and hopes he will never see her again.

Crown looked at manslaughter, first-degree charges

Christopher McPherson, the lead prosecutor in this case, says the Crown also looked at charging Batstone with manslaughter or first degree murder, which usually involves pre-meditated planning.

“You obviously consider all of the possibilities, and it was our decision that the appropriate charge to proceed with was second degree murder. This is as legal proceeding. It’s not going to change the facts of what happened years ago,” he says.

McPherson says the judge carefully reviewed evidence proving Batstone –who initially claimed she was mentally unfit to stand trial– understood the ‘obvious consequence’ of suffocating her daughter.

“The way that Teagan died. Where the plastic bag came from and what Mrs. Batstone had to do and she considered, I think, quite a lot the statement that Mrs. Batstone made to a lot of different people about why she did what she did.”

Batstone repeatedly said Teagan would be better off in Heaven with Jesus than with her father.
During her sentence hearing in June, we’ll hear if the Crown wants her to spend more than ten years in prison before she can apply for parole.