A former Picton man found “Not Criminally Responsible” for murdering his mother in 2011 is the subject of a recent Belleville Police Service public safety alert.

The notice, issued July 29, states James Jeffery, 41, has a “known history of violence.”

It advises the public not to approach if Mr. Jeffery is observed engaging in suspicious or concerning behaviour. Mr. Jeffery has no fixed address, is living in Belleville, and frequents the downtown core.

A shocked and saddened community

Mr. Jeffery is better known in Prince Edward County as Beau Jeffery. In 2011, Mr. Jeffery fatally stabbed his mother, Elaine, over a dozen times. She was a well known lab technician at Memorial Hospital. The two had became embroiled in a fight at their County Road 5 home over access to a rental car.

After she failed to turn up for a game of golf, Ms. Jeffery was reported missing by friend. After a week of searching, Mr. Jeffery led OPP to the wooded area off Old Milford Road where he had hidden his mother’s body.

At trial in 2013, Crown Attorney Jodi Whyte laid out evidence illustrating Mr. Jeffery’s compromised mental state prior to the murder. Forensic evidence collected from the home indicated Mr. Jeffery tried to conceal his crime, using bleach to clean the kitchen where the murder had taken place.

Defence psychologist Dr. Jonathan Rootenberg, and Crown psychologist, Dr. Derek Pallandi, both testified at trial Mr. Jeffery should not be held criminally responsible for Elaine Jeffery’s death.

Dr. Pallandi said during examination that Mr. Jeffery, a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, was in a psychotic state when he stabbed his mother. When asked about the act of murder and his mother being dead, Mr. Jeffery told Mr. Pallandi “I don’t feel one way or another about it. I don’t care one way or another.”

Justice Robert Scott determined Mr. Jeffery was not criminally responsible for Elaine Jeffery’s death. The Justice remanded him to Providence Care in Kingston, where he was ordered to receive regular intramuscular injections of anti psychosis medication and undergo supervised treatment.

In 2021, the Ontario Review Board concluded that Mr. Jeffery did not constitute a significant threat to the safety of the public, and he was discharged absolutely.

Nonetheless, Mr. Jeffery was charged after two incidents at Belleville’s Public Library April 27 and 30.   He plead guilty on July 24 before Justice John Bonn and was sentenced to three days jail in addition to credit for the equivalent of 122 days of pre-sentence custody.  

Mr. Jeffery is on probation for 12 months with conditions that include reporting to a probation officer, taking counselling as directed and not to be at or within 25 metres of the library.