Parents of accused killer Thomas Hamp testify at murder trial about son's decline

Emily Sanche typed a detailed written timeline of her partner'sescalating bizarre behaviour hours before he fatally stabbed her.

The five-page document was supposed to give emergency room doctors an overview of his mental state when he went to the hospital. Instead, the timeline isnowDefence Exhibit 4 at Thomas Hamp'smurder trial.

Hamp is on trial at Court of King's Bench in Saskatoon, charged with second-degree murder in theFeb. 20, 2022, killing of Sanche.

The 27-year-old is not disputing that he killed her,but his lawyer is arguing he should be foundnot criminally responsible because of a mental disorder.

On Thursday, Hamp's parents, Bryan and Sandi,testified at their son's trial.

Bryan Hamptestified how he, Emily and Sandi communicated through a group chat in the fall of 2021 to share updates on Thomas's condition.

Emilyhad reached out on the morning of Feb. 19, 2021,"saying Thomas was in bad shape, very agitated and not doing well," he told court.

They exchanged messages through the day and, after calling the crisis hotline, agreed that Bryan would take his son to emergency on Feb. 20.

To assist in that meeting, Emily sent the couple the timeline at 4:48 p.m. CST.

That evening, she textedBryan to alert him that Thomas had shaved his head she said he had a delusion that pedophiles had long hair and warned him not to be shocked by his appearance.

Their next interaction wasat 2:26 a.m., when Bryan answered a phone call.

"I could hear Thomas in the background, yelling 'They're over here, they're over there,'" he testified.

"I was really concerned because I could hear Thomas, but not Emily."

After the call disconnected, he phoned 911 and raced to the couple's building. He arrived to find police and paramedics already on scene.

Son made 'ludicrous' claims, mother testifies

Bryan Hamp said the couple first became aware of the extent of their son's deterioration in mid-December 2021, when Thomas and Emily came to their house one evening.

Thomas told his parents he believed that he had been sexually abused by a relative when he was younger, and that a co-worker at a local restaurant had pulled a gun on him. He also believed that he'd stumbled across a pedophile ring at the restaurant.

The Hamps were able to categorically refute the memories, going so far as to contact a police friend who assured Thomas that he had not been called to intervene after the supposed confrontationat the restaurant.

"He looked perplexed, confused and surprised," said Bryan.

Sandi Hamp said her son's assertions were "ludicrous."

Defence lawyer Brian Pfefferlewent through the timeline in detail with both Bryan and Sandi Hamp. The entries showed the Hamps andSanchetrying to come to grips with what was happening andget care for Thomas.

At no point did any of them feel that Thomas was a physical threat to anyone but himself, both said.

Prosecutor Cory Bliss asked both Hampswhy no one had reached out to the Sanche family for help. According to her obituary, both her father and brother are medical doctors.

"We asked Emily whether she spoke to her parents," said Sandi.

"She said that her mom did not deal well with mental health issues and she did not want her dad to have to keep secrets."

She added that Sanche herself had been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder because of an incident in high school.

Hamp wrote apology letters: defence

The judge-alone trialbefore Justice Grant Currie, which began on Monday, is now taking a break until December, when the defence will call forensic psychiatrist Shabehram Lohrasbefor an expert opinion on Hamp's mental condition.

Lohrasbehas already interviewed Hamp,but late-breaking disclosure is prompting the delay, Pfefferle said.

"We were unaware that, in March of 2022, the jail intercepted letters that were apology letters written by the accused to the deceased's family, her best friend, and those were intercepted and seized. I was unaware that they were seized, and in existence," he said outside court.

"They've been filed now in the case, and they include the accused's own words about what occurred.The accused's own words would typically be quite relevant" to the forensic assessment,Pfefferle said.

The trial resumes Dec. 17.