Ont. woman convicted of torturing and killing Orillia man in 2010 granted limited freedom

Warning: Readers may find some details in this article disturbing.

A Coldwater woman convicted of brutally torturing and killing a man in 2010 has been granted a little more freedom.

Faye Higgins pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2013, years after Gord Evans' lifeless body was discovered inside the bathroom of his Orillia home with 18 stab wounds to his neck, back and chest and a ligature mark around his neck.

Higgins was sentenced to life behind bars with no chance of parole for 14 years after confessing the murder to undercover officers.

The Coldwater woman, now 54, has been granted day parole for six months at a community-based residential facility, pending a bed's availability.

She can apply for full parole in four years.

At the time of the murder, Higgins was a personal support worker caring for 58-year-old Evans, who lived with physical challenges.

The court heard she offered to give Evans a haircut in the bathroom and then tortured him for three hours before killing him.

At the time, Higgins said a boy known to both she and Evans claimed Evans sexually assaulted him while babysitting.

Those allegations were never proven in court.

The parole board noted Higgins took the law into her own hands that day in June 2010, "acted impulsively," and tortured and killed the victim, causing lasting harm to his family.

The board added she was driven by her emotions, "made poor decisions and did not consider the consequences" of her actions.

Last year, Higgins was psychologically assessed and deemed to be a low risk to re-offend.

Higgins, who had a history of criminal behaviour, including drug trafficking charges and assault, reported being "physically and verbally abused" by her past partners.

She must abide by a series of conditions, including ongoing anger management treatment, reporting relationships and friendships with men to her parole supervisor, and having no contact with the victim's family.