Warning: the details in this story are disturbing
After six days of deliberations, a mistrial has been declared at the trial of an Ottawa mother accused of killing her seven-week old son in October 2021, but a jury found her former boyfriend guilty of second-degree murder.
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The jury had been deliberating since Tuesday morning and came back with its decisions Sunday evening.
The jury found Patrick O’Connor guilty of second-degree murder of the infant who a forensic pathologist said died of blunt force trauma to the head.
It could not reach a decision when it came to the baby’s mother, Boravy Buth, so a mistrial was declared.
A forensic pathologist testified the baby died of blunt force trauma to the head and had bruising in different parts of his small body and fractures in his legs.
Lawyers for O’Connor declined to comment Sunday. Buth’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
The sentence for second-degree murder is life in prison. A judge will have to decide how long O’Connor will have to serve before being eligible for parole. O’Connor is due back in court in June.
