Cy Walsh has been cleared of murdering his father, late Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh, after pleading not guilty by reason of mental incompetence.
Stabbing his father 20 times in their Adelaide home in July last year, the court found that Cy, 27, was not under the influence of drugs, but was suffering from undiagnosed and untreated schizophrenia at the time of the attack.
In her victim impact statement that was read to the court, Cy’s mother, Meredith Walsh, called for greater transparency when it came to mental illness treatment, suggesting families be told when their loved ones were suffering.
‘My heart remains broken, our daughter is devastated by the loss of her father,’ she said in her statement.
‘Our son Cy is also shattered by what happened and has to live with the consequences of his illness — an illness that has destroyed our loving family.
‘We now all live with the devastating consequences of a mental illness that was not understood.’
Ms Walsh revealed she and her husband were not aware doctors had urged their son to take medication for his condition.
Currently in a mental health facility where he has been since the attack, Cy will not face a trial or jail time. Instead, he will spend the rest of his life under mental health supervision.
‘I will continue to love and support our son as his father and I have always done,’ said Ms Walsh.
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