A South Surrey mother charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death last month of her eight-year-old daughter has been deemed fit to stand trial.
The information regarding Lisa Deanne Batstone was shared Monday in Surrey Provincial Court, as a half-dozen supporters listened from the gallery.
Batstone was arrested Dec. 10, after her daughter, Teagan, was found deceased in the back of a car in a cul-de-sac just south of Crescent Road.
A "fitness assessment" was ordered for the 41-year-old during a Dec. 18 court appearance. Lawyer Craig Sicotte told reporters at the time that his client’s mental health was “a very serious concern” that cast doubt on whether a trial could proceed.
Monday, Sicotte told the court he was “content” with the finding, and asked that his client be remanded until Jan. 26. She is being held at a psychiatric hospital.
Outside court, the accused’s father , Barry Hamilton, said he is glad his daughter – who he visits every other day – is not in a jail setting.
“She needs to be in an environment where she can build up her strength and confidence,” he said.
He said he was not surprised by suggestions mental illness may have played a role in the tragedy, noting bipolar disorder runs in his family.
Hamilton reiterated that the mother and daughter were “so close,” and that Teagan’s death is “incomprehensible.”