Killer deserves dangerous-offender tag for ‘frenzied’ machete attack: Crown

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The Crown wants to start the process that, if successful, could lead to a dangerous or long–term offender designation for a London man convicted of manslaughter in the stabbing death of his boarding house neighbour.

Robert Charnock, 42, was found not guilty in July of second-degree murder but guilty of manslaughter in the stabbing death of Kenneth Wallis, 56, who was found dead with 23 sharp-force injuries outside his room at a Wharncliffe Road boarding house on Dec. 8, 2021. A large machete covered in blood was found in his room.

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At a brief court hearing Wednesday, Superior Court Justice Alissa Mitchell scheduled Oct. 7 for the Crown’s application to have a preliminary psychiatric assessment completed as required in advance of a dangerous offender application.

Defence lawyer Robert Farrington indicated the defence was not consenting to the assessment application.

If the request is successful, it wouldn’t be the first time Charnock has undergone a mental health assessment because his fitness was a live issue at his trial.

Two psychiatrists testified, one for the Crown and one for the defence, both agreeing Charnock has a variety of mental health diagnoses including anti-social personality disorder, traits of a borderline personality disorder, schizo-effective disorder and an alcohol and cannabis use disorder.

At his trial, the court heard that a month before Wallis’s death, Wallis had given Charnock fentanyl that was so powerful Charnock overdosed, had to be resuscitated and admitted to hospital. When he was discharged, he came home to find that his medications and money had been stolen and he blamed Wallis.

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Over the next month, Charnock lacked sleep, medications, and continued to use alcohol and street drugs. Those factors, plus his precarious living situation, disconnection from his family and the pandemic would have exacerbated his mental health issues, the psychiatrists concluded.

Charnock was found guilty by Justice Helen Rady of the lesser charge because it wasn’t clear whether the attack on Wallis was intentional or an impulsive act of violence.

While police were called to the boarding house to find the fatally injured Wallis, Charnock, wearing a T-shirt, tights and shorts on a winter day, walked many blocks to Victoria Hospital, where he presented himself to the emergency department for mental health treatment.

He told the medical staff he might have cut someone with a machete or he was hallucinating. He wanted to wash the blood off his hands. He said he was schizophrenic and got into an argument with another patient because he was convinced she was trying to take his picture.

When police arrived at the hospital, Charnock had calmed down and was sitting on the floor of a quiet room. His behaviour was troubling, but he later admitted to killing Wallis.

He told the police he hadn’t slept for a week and sometimes had auditory hallucinations.

The attack on Wallis was described as “frenzied” and his injuries suggested he had been hit so hard by the weapon that he had a skull fracture, a leg fracture and deep wounds to his head, neck, hand and arm.

A pre-sentence report for Charnock has already been completed.

jsims@postmedia.com

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