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Murder charges laid after victim dies following hospital assault

A 30-year-old man is facing a charge of second degree murder after what police are calling a "serious assault" between two patients at the Waterford Hospital in St. John's.

Thomas Parsley is now charged with second-degree murder

A man wearing blue sitting in a court room.
Thomas Parsley, 30, appeared in provincial court Friday on charges of attempted murder and assault with a weapon. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

A 66-year-old man has passed away after what police are calling a "serious assault" between two patients at the Waterford psychiatric hospital in St. John's.

The accused suspect, Thomas Parsley, has now been charged with second-degree murder.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said a the man was assaulted with a weapon shortly after 6 p.m. NT on Thursday. The victim was taken to the Health Sciences Centre with life-threatening injuries after the incident. 

Parsley, 30, was previously charged with attempted murder and assault with a weapon. 

He appeared in provincial court on Saturday morning to those charges upgraded to second-degree murder. 

Parsley was sent back to the Waterford hospital for an assessment, and is due back in court on Monday. 

He also faces previous charges of violence. 

Court documents say he allegedly assaulted someone else with a weapon at the Waterford Hospital in October.

Earlier that month, his care team wrote the court to say Parsley is expected to remain certified and admitted to the hospital for the foreseeable future.

In June, he was charged with damaging property at the health-care facility.

Parsley is an involuntary patient in the care of a psychiatrist at the Waterford.

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With files from Mark Quinn