The man accused in the stabbing death of a Burnaby RCMP officer three and a half years ago has been found mentally unfit to stand trial.
Jongwon Ham was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Const. Shaelyn Yang in October 2022.
A fitness hearing was held to determine if Ham has the mental capacity to understand the charges he faced and two psychiatrists told the hearing that Ham suffers from a psychotic disorder.
Justice Michael Tammen said that Ham’s delusions prevent him from making rational decisions about the court process.
Yang was killed while trying to speak with a man sheltering in a tent in Broadview Park on Oct. 18, 2022.
Ham was a well-respected actor and Emmy Award winning filmmaker in Toronto.
A close friend told Global News that Ham suffered a mental health downward spiral after he was falsely accused of sexual assault in Toronto years ago.
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The case now goes back to the B.C. Review Board, which has 90 days to make a decision on what’s next for Ham.
That could include hospital detention, but for now, he will be transferred to a forensic psychiatric hospital.
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