Mother of Calgary murder suspect details hallucinations and fear months before attack

The mother of a Calgary murder suspect hastestified her son was suffering hallucinations and was in fear of animalistic creatures months before a young woman was stabbed to death on a downtown street.

Michael Adenyi is charged with first-degree murder in the death of fitness instructor Vanessa Ladouceur in April 2022.

He has testified he believed he was attacking a creature when he assaulted the woman and only realized what he had done when he cut himself and discovered what had really happened.

His mother told court that Adenyi started having hallucinations in September 2021, was seeing frightening animals, was talking to his shoelaces and would take hour-long showers to drown out the voices in his head.

She says the family sought help and he saw a psychiatrist who prescribed Prozac for a depressive disorder.

Adenyi's lawyers are arguing he is not criminally responsible by reason of a medical disorder.