Emily Sanche was an “intelligent, passionate, driven” young woman who focused her energy on getting help for her partner, who is now accused of killing her, the woman’s cousin told a Saskatoon court on Tuesday.
Thomas Hamp is on trial before Justice Grant Currie at Court of King’s Bench. He’s charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 20, 2022, fatal stabbing of Sanche.
“Emily never spoke of any fears of Thomas — any fear or anxiety was fear for him,” Catherine Sanche, Emily’s cousin, told court on Tuesday.
“He never gave her any reason to fear for her safety.”
Hamp is not denying that he stabbed Emily Sanche. Defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle is arguing that Hamp is not criminally responsible for his actions.
On Tuesday, prosecutor Cory Bliss called Catherine Sanche, who was identified as Emily’s cousin and best friend, to testify. She knew Emily her entire life and became friends with Hamp when the trio went to Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon.
Catherine said she also kept a detailed record of Emily’s efforts to get medical help for Hamp over a three-month period before her death.
“She was concerned over the lack of response from health professionals,” Catherine Sanche testified.
Hamp had been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and was taking medication for the condition. Emily Sanche had a psychology degree and was working on a master’s in counselling, with a focus on OCD.
“She was incredibly compassionate,” Catherine Sanche told court.
Under questioning by Bliss, Catherine Sanche went through her notes around her cousin’s efforts to get help for Hamp.
The dates came in clusters — Dec. 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 — each one with a corresponding visit to an emergency room or walk-in clinic, or call to the province’s health line.
Emily Sanche could not get the help that she believed Hamp needed, for a variety of reasons, court heard. In some instances, Hamp did not present as delusional. In others, his actions were attributed to his OCD diagnosis. Others questioned whether he was taking too many medications, or not enough.
Meanwhile, Hamp was telling Emily about recovered memories of incidents that had not occurred. He believed that their apartment had been broken into; that he was surrounded by pedophiles; that he had been sexually abused; that his phone had been hacked; that he would be chemically castrated by doctors if he went for help.
By February, Catherine said that Hamp’s delusions “were so fantastical” that Emily had a small hope that doctors would take him seriously and admit him for psychiatric care.
Instead, they delayed acting because he had a March psychiatric appointment.
Two weeks are set aside for Hamp’s judge-alone trial, which began on Monday.
