By Canadian Press

Court won’t hear case in which former athlete found not criminally responsible

Nov 28, 2019 | 12:34 PM

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will not revisit the case of a former elite Newfoundland athlete who was found not criminally responsible in the death of a man she struck with a hammer.

At her jury trial, Anne Norris pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Marcel Reardon’s death, but admitted to repeatedly hitting him in the head with a hammer early one morning in May 2016.

Her defence team argued that the former member of a provincial basketball team was in the grips of a mental disorder when she attacked Reardon and therefore should be found not criminally responsible.

The Crown argued that evidence at the trial showed Norris was not delusional and planned a deliberate killing.

Earlier this year, Newfoundland and Labrador’s appeal court dismissed the Crown’s challenge of the jury’s decision.

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As usual, the Supreme Court gave no reason for refusing to hear the case.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2019.

The Canadian Press