Accused murderer returns to court
The 18-year-old Kamloops man accused of killing his father inside their Westsyde home last month appeared briefly in a Kamloops courtroom on Monday, Oct. 24.
Joshua Isaac Steel’s file was in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops to fix a date for trial.
His father, 63-year-old Phil Steel, was found dead in his Westmount home on Sept. 12.
Josh Steel was arrested shortly after police arrived at the home. He is charged with one count of second-degree murder.
Steel, who has no criminal record, has not yet applied for bail and will remain in custody.
During an appearance in Kamloops provincial court earlier this month, defence lawyer Don Campbell mentioned the possibility of a not criminally responsible by way of a mental disorder (NCRMD) hearing.
In order for an accused to be found NCRMD, they must first undergo a court-ordered assessment and be found by a doctor to have been suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the alleged incident.
The matter then goes back before a judge, who decides if the accused should not be held criminally responsible.
If the judge accepts the finding, the file is turned over to the British Columbia Review Board for disposition.
If it’s not accepted, the accused must enter a plea and have the file proceed as would any other criminal matter .
Steel has yet to enter a plea and no NCRMD assessment has been requested or ordered.
No details of the circumstances surrounding the death have been made public. The date of Steel’s trial was not available as of KTW press time.
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