More than a dozen people gathered in an Edmonton courtroom on Wednesday, with a woman holding a teddy bear to hear the verdict. Starrett was accused of killing his one-year-old son Ares Starrett and assaulting another child at a home in Fort Saskatchewan on November 23, 2019. While providing a summary of his findings, the judge said the boy was “punched, kicked, trampled on the head” and died as a result of multiple head injuries. During a single trial of the judge in March and April, Starrett claimed that he was not criminally responsible and that he was in a state of automation when the attacks on the children took place. The judge said about a year after the incident, Starrett released a story that he “was teleported and attacked by a shadowy creature” and that he was trying to protect the children. The judge said the story evolved over time and was an attempt to “streamline his behavior”. The court ruled that Starrett had a long history of back pain, insomnia and use of illicit drugs, including cocaine, Percocet, and that he was undergoing heroin withdrawal at the time of the incident. “He also admitted to using Percocet within hours of Mars’ death,” the judge said. “She was experiencing other stressors, including financial and relationships.” While the judge said the evidence was helpful in understanding Starrett, the judge believes he was overwhelmed by his situation and acted voluntarily. “I do not accept Mr Staret’s statement that he did not know what was going on,” he said. Starrett was convicted of manslaughter and joint assault. “I am pleased that the Crown has shown without a doubt that Mr. Staret’s actions caused Mars to die,” the judge said. After the verdict and the judge left the courtroom, a man started shouting at Starrett, “You are a coward, brother. “What did you do to this little boy?” He said. Starrett’s bail has been revoked pending sentencing.
