Kelowna

Photo: Castanet Staff

File photo of the scene of the beating

The crown will be continuing forward with the case of a man accused to bludgeoning his mother to death with a hammer.

Conor Grossmith, 24,  appeared by video from the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre where he was recently transferred, after spending the past few months at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Port Coquitlam in order to determine whether he was fit to stand trial.

A psychiatric report has finally been completed, reaching two conclusions: Grossmith was either grossly intoxicated at the time of the attack, or it was part of a manic disorder – either of which could diminish criminal negligence and culpability in the crime.

The court heard that Grossmith’s blood-alcohol level was .26 when he gave a breath sample five hours after the incident; that is more than three times the legal driving limit.

His lawyer Joe Gordon says their defence will be a clear cut NCRMD (not criminally responsible due to mental disorder).

Grossmith's mother, Kate Gilchrist, died in hospital nine days after she was attacked by her son on Sept. 13, 2012.

A date has been set for a pretrial conference on Feb. 28.