Drugs led to deadly attack on wife

By JANE SIMS, The London Free Press

Last Updated: May 11, 2010 7:51am

The 911 dispatcher wanted to know if Michael Ross's common-law wife was conscious.

"No," Ross said. "I actually smashed her right in the head with a hammer."

Vahida Blazevic was "bleeding really bad" on a bed in their Dundas St. apartment in London.

"Now, have you been on drugs or something?" the dispatcher asked as police and ambulance rushed to the address.

"No," Ross replied. "The police have been showing up here quite a bit and I was, like, really paranoid and thought black people were coming through the walls and stuff.

"I thought there was, like, ghosts and stuff coming through the walls and she was a ghost."

Monday, more than three years after he bludgeoned Blazevic to death, Ross, 40, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.

"It was an unfortunate event. I wish it never happened," Ross said to Superior Court Justice John McGarry.

The balding Ross said he had a drug problem that has "given me a lot of problems in dealing with things in reality."

The case took a long route to a guilty plea, because Ross had two psychological examinations to determine if he was criminally responsible. Both psychiatrists said Ross wasn't suffering from a major mental illness and was aware of what he'd done.

Years of substance abuse were at the core of his behaviour.

Geoff Beasley, acting regional director of Crown services, said Ross and Blazevic, 42, were in a "tumultuous" relationship for six years. The day before her death on Jan. 5, 2007, police had been to 725 Dundas St. Unit 4, and were called there a number of times beforehand.

The day of the 911 call, police raced to the home while the dispatcher told Ross to meet them. He was arrested outside.

The bedroom was a bloodbath. Blazevic was lying on her back and her breathing laboured. Her white tank top had been pulled up over her chest. There was a lot of blood on her face and under her head and blood on the walls.

A silver hammer with a bit of rust was also on the bed.

Blazevic was rushed to hospital where she was later taken off life support. She died of "massive craniocerebral trauma" from skull fractures consistent with many blows from a hammer.

Ross's lawyer, Andy Rady, said Ross had a history of underlying mental illness and his drug use began at 13 with opiates, alcohol and hallucinogens. By 20, he was addicted to crack cocaine.

He has an inherent distrust of others. He also suffers from post-traumatic stress from a burn to his arm from a workplace injury.

Rady noted that somehow, there was no blood on him or his clothing when he was arrested.

In custody, Ross has been on medication and has been lucid. Rady said Ross never said why he attacked Blazevic and "I'm not sure he knows."

Blazevic was a Bosnian immigrant who separated from her husband not long after they and two children arrived in Canada.

From: http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/05/11/13903681.html