Philosophy 2080 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Sleepwalking, Determinative, Actus Reus

• School: Western University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: Philosophy 2080
• Professor: James Hildebrand

Document Summary

Parks attacked his parents-in-law when he was sleepwalking. He drove 23 kilometers to their house when he was sleepwalking and stabbed them in their sleep with a kitchen knife. His mother-in-law died, and his father-in-law was seriously injured. He did not remember any of the actions and there was no reasonable motive for the murder. Parks did not have any mental conditions, although several members of his family had sleep problems. Parks had been working long hours at work and had recently been charged with a theft from his employer. He was acquitted both at trial and at the court of appeal. Lamer held that the expert evidence showed that parks was indeed sleepwalking at the time of the attack, that sleepwalking is not a neurological disorder, and that there is no medical treatment for sleepwalking aside from good health.