Supreme Court Blames Magic Mushrooms For Calgary Man's Naked Attack On Professor
The ruling said he was in a state of “delirium.”
The Supreme Court Of Canada building.
Canada's top court has upheld the acquittal of a Calgary man that broke into a university professor's home and attacked her with a broom handle while naked and high on magic mushrooms.
Matthew Brown, a former Mount Royal University student, was charged with breaking and entering and aggravated assault after he attacked Mount Royal professor Janet Hamnett while intoxicated in 2018, and left her with broken bones in her hand.
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) was looking at three specific cases, including two from Ontario, to determine whether a defence of extreme intoxication to the point of automatism – a term for acts committed unconsciously – can be used for those who take drugs and end up committing acts of violence.
In its judgment, the court voted unanimously for the acquittal and said the piece of the Criminal Code that prevented the use of the defence was "unconstitutional".
While Brown could be criticized for his decision to drink alcohol and ingest magic mushrooms prior to the attack, he could not be blamed for the aggravated assault that "occurred while he was in a state of delirium," the court said.
Brown was acquitted at a trial in May 2020, but it was overturned months later by the Alberta Court of Appeal which said he must bear the consequences of taking illegal drugs "in reckless disregard of the possible risks," according to CBC.
According to the judgment, Brown had attended a friend's party on the evening of the attack, where he had several mixed drinks, beers, and several one-half grams or smaller portions of magic mushrooms.
At 3:45 a.m., Brown removed his clothing and left the house "in an agitated state," running into the street naked and barefoot. Hamnett was woken up around 4 a.m. to loud noise and was attacked when she went to investigate. She was repeatedly beaten by Brown with a broken broom handle before managing to escape to the bathroom and lock the door.
When Brown left, Hamnett fled to a neighbour’s house and the police were called. Hamnett was left with cuts, broken bones in her right hand, and psychological damage after the attack.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.