A Quinte West man has pleaded guilty in connection with the death of his son.
In court on Tuesday, the crown dropped the charge of second degree murder against Brian David Callighan and accepted his guilty plea of manslaughter, in the death of 23-year-old Patrick Callighan in 2020.
A charge of accessory to murder against the mother, Christine Callighan, was dropped and she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
The crown presented a lengthy outline of what occurred on December 15, 2019, at the Callighan residence on Loyalist Parkway where Patrick suffered a knife attack and died from nine knife wounds.
The crown indicated Patrick had been diagnosed with variety of mental health issues including concerns regarding ADHD, depression and anxiety.
On a few occasions Patrick had acted out violently, according to the report.
The court heard from the crown that, on the morning of December 15, Brian Callighan heard a serious altercation between his wife and son Patrick in the basement.
When Brian entered the basement he found Patrick with a butcher knife, enraged and standing over his mother who was on the couch, “apparently poised to kill his mother.”
The crown indicated Brian took action to protect his wife, and in the ensuing struggle Patrick suffered fatal injuries.
The crown reported that Brian believed if he had not acted he and his wife would have been killed.
Four months later, in April of 2020, police were present as Patrick’s body was exhumed from the cement basement floor of the Callighan residence.
The case has been remanded until December 14 for sentencing.
