Matthew de Grood, who admitted to stabbing five people to death at a 2014 Calgary house party, has been found not criminally responsible.

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Justice Eric Macklin delivered the verdict in the first-degree murder trial on Wednesday morning. He said he accepted the opinions of experts that de Grood was suffering a mental disorder at the time, and that he did not know his actions were morally wrong. The ruling means de Grood will be kept in a secure psychiatric facility pending assessment by the Alberta Review Board.

The Crown asked that the case be sent to the Alberta Review Board and said it would consider a designation of 鈥渉igh-risk not criminally responsible." That designation would impose stricter rules on de Grood, including possibly extending the length of his review from one year to three.

The defence asked that de Grood be sent to the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatric Centre.

After the ruling was delivered, De Grood's lawyer read a statement prepared by his client.

"I cannot apologize enough for your losses and I deeply regret that your loved ones aren't with you anymore," the lawyer read, as sobs broke out in the courtroom. "I am sorry from the bottom of my heart."

De Grood also said he will take responsibility for his illness "so nothing like this ever occurs again." He pledged to take his medication, manage "potential stressors," and follow doctor's order for the rest of his life.

The judge commended the families of the victims, many who were in court on Wednesday, for showing "courage in the face of unspeakable pain."

During the trial, de Grood, 24, admitted to stabbing the victims, but both the defence and the Crown agreed that he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time.

The court was told that about a month before the attack de Grood became withdrawn and started posting on social media about vampires, Darth Vader and the end of the world. He also reported hearing voices telling him to kill and thought the world was ending before he grabbed a knife at the house party and started stabbing his victims.

Kaitlin Perras, 23; Lawrence Hong, 27; Josh Hunter, 23; Zackariah Rathwell, 21; and Jordan Segura, 22, were all killed in the attack. All were students at nearby colleges and universities.

Families call for high-risk designation

Outside the courthouse, Lawrence Hong's brother, Miles Hong, said the ruling did not mark the end for the victims' families.

"We continue to be broken," he told reporters. "The finding of (not criminally responsible) will be a recurring nightmare for our families."

Hong pointed out that unless de Grood is designated high-risk NCR, he will meet with a review board each year to assess whether or not he should be granted concessions.

"There will be no peace for us; our wounds will never fully heal, because every single year we will have to wonder what will be the fate of the man who destroyed so many lives."

Hong urged community members to remember and honour the lives of those killed in the attacks.

"We can all cherish their legacy by reminiscing moments we had together, living out their values, and supporting others through the scholarships and foundations created in their memory," he said.

Gregg Perras, Kaiti Perras' father, said the families have to accept the expert opinions that de Grood had a mental disorder at the time of the attack.

"You have to deal with people who are mentally ill," he said, adding that the all of the families would like to see de Grood designated high-risk NCR.

"Our life sentence now is to every year go to the mental health review board and try to make sure that this dangerous offender never gets out and has a chance to hurt anyone else. It's not over, this is just the start."

De Grood's father, Doug de Grood, also briefly spoke to reporters following the verdict.

"We accept the decision of the court," Doug de Grood said, with his wife by his side. "We will continue to walk by our son's side, as together we travel the long and painful road ahead of us. Today is not the end of this tragic nightmare, we live it every day. We will continue to live it every day for the rest of our lives."

He pledged to always keep the victims and their families in his thoughts and prayers, and hoped that time would eventually allow them to begin to heal.

With files from CTV's Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks, CTV Calgary's Ina Sidhu, and The Canadian Press

Matthew de Grood - Reasons for Judgment of the Honourable Mr. Justice Eric F. Macklin
 

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