Court hears B.C. actor killed mother to spare her from seeing the violence he intended to commit

The sentencing hearing for Ryan Granthamcontinued Tuesday in B.C. Supreme Court with submissions from the Crown about the young actor's mental state and behaviour before and after he killed his 64-year-old mother in their Squamishtownhouse.

Grantham, 24, shot Barbara Waite in the back of the head as she played piano on March 31, 2020. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Marchafter initially being charged with first-degree murder.

On Monday, the court heard how Granthamhad rehearsed the killing and even taken videos which were shown in court, including a four-minutesegment captured in the hours after the killingin which he confesses to the murder and shows his mother's dead body.

The next day he packed his car with three guns, ammunition, 12 Molotov cocktails, camping supplies and a map with directions to RideauCottage in Ottawa and started driving east with the notion of killing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Referencing two psychiatric reports, Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly said there was consensus Grantham was going through an intense period of clinical depression in the months leading up to the murder while maintaining an outward appearance of being well functioning.

He also wasexperiencingurges to commit violence and kill himself, along with escalating feelings of self-hatredand guiltover his mother, potentially learning he had stopped attending classes at Simon Fraser University.Both reports said he had a cannabis use disorder.

The reports say Granthamdecided tokill his mother tospare her from seeing the violence he intended to commit.

Donnellysaid while that may seem altruistic in motive, murdering Waite was a profoundly selfish act.

"Mr. Grantham was seeking to save his mother from something he was going to do ... That is something different than altruism," said Donnelly.

'Heartbreaking breach of trust'

In presentingaggravating circumstances, Donnellysubmitted that, in killing Waite, Granthamcommitted a "heartbreaking breach of trust."

"Barbara Waite lovedher son very much, was an excellent parent and in her mind had no reason to fear him," said Donnelly.

Donnelly arguedthat the use of a gunrequiressignificant denunciation in sentencing, noting that Grantham was an experienced gun user and former gun club member. She highlighted that in the months leading up to the homicide, he bought a new guneven though he was aware of his struggles with urges to commit violence andkillings.

Donnelly said the circumstances of the case were closer to first-degree murder than manslaughterbecause, on the day of the murder, he had many chances to reconsider as he loaded and unloaded his .22 calibre rifle and then sat on the stairs of the townhouse for almost 15 minutes, deciding what to do.

Grantham left Squamishthe day after the murder with his mother's body still where it had fallen, intending to drive 50 hours toOttawa to kill Justin Trudeau. Before he left, he tested a Molotov cocktail in a remote area.

He drove as faras Hopebefore turning around with thoughts he would instead commit an act of mass violence at SFU or other locations. That night he turned himself in to Vancouver police.

Grantham has acted in film and television since he was nine years old. His credits include B.C.-filmed TV series, includingRiverdale, Supernatural and iZombie, and the films Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Second-degree murder comes with an automatic life sentence. The Crown is asking for 17 to 18 years of parole ineligibility.

The hearing is expected to wrap up Wednesday after submissions from the defence.