Defence argues mental illness in long-running Kelowna homicide trial<\/p>\n
Published 5:30 am Wednesday, June 24, 2026<\/p>\n
Five years after Darren Middleton died of blunt force trauma to the head, suffered a severed penis, missing his testicles, and was found in a bathroom of the home in Rutland, the second-degree murder trial for the woman accused of his death is one step closer to being completed.<\/p>\n
Gabriella Sears was first arrested and charged on the morning of June 17, 2021, with the killing of 49-year-old Middleton.<\/p>\n
Sears had confessed to police that she had killed Middleton following her arrest, but after a voir dire, the judge ruled the confession may not be used as evidence in the trial on the grounds that Sears\u2019 rights were violated by police.<\/p>\n
The trial has faced various delays as Sears unexpectedly fired her defence lawyers mid-trial in December <\/a>2023<\/a>. Then, in June 2024, her new counsel filed an application to withdraw from the case, making them the third set of lawyers to represent Sears in the trial.<\/p>\n In response to the unusual decision, Justice Carol Ross ordered that Sears undergo a month-long psychiatric assessment. It was later determined that Sears was fit to stand trial.<\/p>\n The trial then restarted in Kelowna on Dec. 8, 2025, two years after the first trial was stopped.<\/p>\n