Manitoba nurse found not criminally responsible for killing parents has licence to practice suspended

A Manitoba nurse who was found not criminally responsible for killing his parents and attacking another nurse in a Winnipeg hospital has been suspended from practicing.

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba suspended Trevor Farley’s licence to practice following an inquiry in August 2024.

“The registrant’s certificate of practice is suspended until such time as they satisfy the CIC (Complaints Investigation Committee) that their ailment or emotional disturbance no longer impairs their ability to practice registered nursing and their ailment is not a danger to the public,” the final report reads.

Farley, 40, had worked as a nurse since 2014.

He was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Judy Swain and second-degree murder in the death of his father, Stuart Farley, on Oct. 27, 2021. He was also charged with the attempted murder of Candyce Szkwarek, a nursing supervisor at Seven Oaks Hospital.

Farley was found not criminally responsible following a trial in 2023 due to mental illness. In the days leading up to the offences, he was in psychosis, had sought help with the Crisis Response Centre and was supposed to be under an involuntary hold before he left the facility.

He was designated a high-risk accused following the trial, with Justice Ken Champagne saying Farley's "conduct was of such a brutal nature as to indicate a risk of great physical or psychological harm to another person.”

Under the order, Farley is under detention in a secure hospital setting and only a superior court judge can revoke the designation and hospital detention.

“(Farley’s) mental disorder is currently being treated in a secure facility, and security measures are in place to ensure that they do not leave the facility, and they will not be permitted to leave unaccompanied until the Court so determines,” the panel’s decision reads.

If the designation is removed, Farley can reapply to have his licence reinstated, but the CIC would need to approve the decision.