Accused Fredericton shooter will undergo psychiatric assessment
The man accused of killing four people, including two police officers, in Fredericton in August will undergo a 60-day psychiatric assessment, Judge Julian Dickson ruled Tuesday.
The assessment will determine if Matthew Vincent Raymond, 48, is not criminally responsible in the Aug. 10 shooting deaths of Fredericton police constables Robb Costello, 45, and Sara Burns, 43, and civilians Donnie Robichaud, 42, and Bobbi Lee Wright, 32.
Dickson made his ruling in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday afternoon, but the discussion about the assessment is under a publication ban.
Raymond, who is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, was previously ruled mentally fit to stand trial after undergoing another kind of assessment last month.
The not criminally responsible, or NCR, assessment is expected to be completed before his next scheduled court date on Feb. 8.
"The purpose of it is to determine whether someone is not criminally responsible, which means at the time of the alleged offence, did they suffer from a mental disorder that would exempt them from responsibility," said defence lawyer Alison Ménard.
"In certain circumstances, people who suffer from a mental disorder — an example would be somebody detached from reality who has a psychotic episode of some sort — those people are considered to be not criminally responsible for the action because they are lacking the intentional element of the offence because of the mental disorder."
Raymond interrupts proceeding
The accused, who remains in custody, raised concerns with the court that documents under the publication ban — the arguments for and against the NCR assessment — are no longer confidential.
He claimed many people, including the correctional officers at the facility where's he been remanded, have seen them and, as such, he won't be able to have a fair trial and "must be freed immediately."
Raymond flashed the stack of confidential documents at the courtroom gallery.
He also complained he should be allowed to wear street clothes to court. He has been shackled and dressed in an orange sweater and pants throughout the proceedings.
Ménard said she isn't comfortable discussing her client's concerns in the news media.
Dickson said during the proceeding that Raymond's issues can be addressed, but the assessment order was the priority Tuesday.
Police have said all four victims were hit by bullets from a long gun fired from the third storey of an apartment building on Brookside Drive on the north side of Fredericton.
Raymond has not yet entered pleas or chosen a mode of trial.
