"PARANOIA" MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO DOUBLE MURDER: JUDGE

RICK VANDERLINDE rvanderlinde@simcoe.com

Paranoid, suspicious and distrustful thoughts may help explain what led Dyrrin Daley to "viciously" murder Nick and James Pasowisty nearly five years ago, a judge told a Barrie court Nov. 25.

Justice Vanessa Christie said psychiatric reports, in the months following the Feb. 8, 2017 knife attack, painted a picture of a man who felt easily rejected.

"This may well provide some insight into Mr. Daley's mindset on that fateful night."

Christie said without the benefit of a recent psychological report, there is no way to know if Daley still harbours those attitudes.

"Mr. Daley needs to get help; if not, the court is concerned that paranoia, feel- ings of vulnerability, helplessness and the feelings of being watched, plotted against and victimized continue, and could pose a danger in the future," she said.

Christie made the comments before she set Feb. 8, 2035 as Daley's parole eligibility date on his life sentence, which is 18 years from the time he was incarcerated in 2017.

Parole eligibility gives an inmate the right to a parole board hearing and does not necessarily mean parole will be granted.

Daley, 28, was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder on Aug. 30 following a lengthy trial, where he took the witness stand and told the court he stabbed the Pasowistys to death in self-defence.

Nick Pasowisty, 19, and his 51-year-old father, James, were stabbed about 35 times each in their William Street apartment between 2:30 a.m. and 3:19 a.m.

Calling the murders "excessive and brutal," Christie said Daley went to the apartment to get marijuana "one way or another" from James, who was his regular dealer.

Daley was armed with a pellet gun, a baton and a double-bladed knife when he entered the apartment.

In a victim impact statement, Nick's mother and James' former partner, Rose Beaton, said the murders have left a scar on her family.

"This disgusting, animalistic, satanic act will always be embedded in my mind," she told Daley in the courtroom. "Having to listen to you tell the court that you were only trying to protect yourself is absurd."

Christie said while Daley "minimized the events and devalued the lives" of the victims following his arrest, she now believes his remorse is "genuine."

"This court is hopeful that Mr. Daley owns the role he played," she said. "He has hope for rehabilitation if he chooses to face the events of his past."

The court heard Daley had a learning disability as achild, was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and spent one year in a group home when he was in Grade 5 to deal with behavioural issues.

Apsychiatric report said his parents' divorce when he was young was "destabilizing."

He began using cannabis regularly in Grade 8 and became a "chronic" user.

During the trial, the court heard cannabis helped him cope and "slow things down."

Apsychiatric court report said he would become depressed and have suicidal thoughts if he didn't have his daily dose of marijuana.