A Sooke man being sentenced for killing his mother while in the throes of a crystal meth addiction says he's haunted every day by what happened, and he now just wants to be the person his mom wanted him to be.
Michael McCormick has addressed the court at the conclusion of his sentencing hearing. The 36-year old pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month in the 2014 killing of his mother, 64-year old Pamella Dyer.
McCormick turned to family in the courtroom and offered a tearful apology, saying he's done some horrible, horrible things. He told them he wanted to apologize to his aunt for taking away her sister; to his ex-wife for taking away their childrens' grandmother; and to Sooke for taking away a woman who was a pillar of the community.
He said he has no desire to ever use crystal meth again, and promised his family -- who have expressed concern about their own safety -- that he won't contact them when he's released unless they contact him first. McCormick's step-sister Kim Bond says she believes his remorse was genuine, and she hopes he'll be ordered to take rehabilitation programs while in prison.
The crown has described her death as a brutal beating, and is seeking a 12-to-15 year sentence. McCormick told investigators he was in a drug-induced psychosis and thought his mother was a creature from another planet impersonating his mom. The defence is asking for a 7-10 year term.
A decision will be delivered in January.