'Time to move on': Reaction as Udo Haan found not criminally responsible for wife’s death, house explosion
'Time to move on': Reaction as Udo Haan found not criminally responsible for wife’s death, house explosion
A Kitchener man, who was charged with killing his wife and then blowing up their home in 2018, has been found not criminally responsible.
Udo Haan admitted he committed the offenses, but the judge found he was suffering from delusions at the time.
Haan’s home on Sprucedale Crescent exploded on Aug. 22, 2018.
His wife Edra Haan was found dead in the couple’s backyard.
It was later determined that she had been killed before the blast.
Her husband Udo was charged with first-degree murder and three arson-related counts.
On Thursday a judge ruled he was not criminally responsible.
Edra Haan’s brother was relieved to see the matter dealt with in court after waiting four-and-a-half years.
“It is closure that it’s over,” said Al Pinheiro. “It’s not really what we were looking for, I guess. But at the end of the day it was the proper call.”
In an agreed statement of facts, court heard that Udo Haan was increasingly paranoid in the time leading up to the explosion. He thought he was being followed and that he was going to be tortured and killed.
Haan also thought his wife was having an affair or somehow involved in organized crime.
The couple, who had been married for 40 years, were in the process of separating.
In the early morning of Aug. 22, Udo Haan strangled Edra and then opened a drop line that allowed the hole to fill with natural gas causing it to explode shortly after 8 a.m.
The Sprucedale Crescent home was destroyed, two neighbouring houses had to be demolished and other homes in the area were also damaged.
The aftermath of the explosion at Sprucedale Crescent. The house was completely destroyed, and the adjacent homes also caught fire. (WRPS / Twitter)
“He admits he did the act but he’s not responsible because of a pervasive, overwhelming mental disorder which drove the commission of this incident and was overwhelming in his mind,” said Steve Gehl, Udo Haan’s lawyer.
A psychiatrist who assessed Haan told the court he was tortured by his beliefs at the time, and in her opinion, he would not have committed the offence had be not been in a highly psychotic state.
Another psychiatrist who took the stand for the defense agreed with that assessment.
In closing submissions both the Crown and the defense said they believed the judge should find Udo Haan not criminally responsible by way of mental disorder.
The judge agreed.
The matter will now become the jurisdiction of the Ontario Review Board.
“He will remain in custody at whatever detention centre until he is transferred to a hospital where he will be appearing before the review board, where they will decide where he goes,” explained Gehl.
“Now it’s time to move on,” said Pinheiro. “This is behind us now and the future is ahead of us.”
Edra Haan’s family is reflecting on all she brought to their lives.
“She had a laugh that just brought everybody together, and a smile,” said Pinheiro. “She was always willing to help everybody, and that’s what we take away from this.”
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
Fire crews remain on scene of a blaze in east London. The call came in around 1:30 a.m. for a structure fire at 720 Cabell St. near Roberts Avenue and crews immediately started a defensive fight from outside the building.
Train whistles in Walkerville were discussed a committee of council meeting Wednesday night. Residents want the Essex Terminal Railway (ETR) to stop running trains between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Parents had their say at a Vimy Ridge Public School town hall as the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board addressed concerns around harassment and bullying.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
The Canadian Press has learned that Ontario has granted a three-month funding extension for doctors to provide care through virtual emergency departments.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
A new regulation that comes into effect Thursday in Quebec prohibits the feeding of white-tailed deer outside of hunting season, from Dec. 1 to Aug. 31, except on l'ile d'Anticosti.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
A Winnipeg judge has acquitted a now-retired 93-year-old priest of assault after a residential school survivor accused him of forcing himself on her more than 50 years ago.
A bylaw officer in Manitoba is facing fraud charges for allegedly keeping the surrender fees when people gave up their pets, according to the Brandon Police Service.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
A 2021 plane crash at the Westlock Airport was caused by an "unstable visual approach" to the landing runway, a Transportation Safety Board investigator has found.
Alberta's energy regulator has defended its finding that the province's largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there's no suggestion rules were flouted.
The Riverview Hospital itself has been closed for more than a decade, but 289 people are currently receiving treatment for mental health, addictions or both at the old site.
The aftermath of the explosion at Sprucedale Crescent. The house was completely destroyed, and the adjacent homes also caught fire. (WRPS / Twitter)
