The man charged with killing an Abbotsford Senior Secondary student in November of 2016 still hears voices 含羞草研究社渆veryday, every hour of the day,含羞草研究社� the BC Review Board heard Thursday.
The review board held a second hearing Thursday morning into the psychiatric health of Gabriel Klein, who is charged with stabbing an Abbotsford student to death and severely injured another in November 2016. A decision will be released at a later date, likely within the next week.
Both Crown counsel and the defence agreed Klein remains unfit to take part in the trial, with the main disagreement being on the length of time needed before another hearing is held. Crown suggested the matter should reconvene in four months, while defence suggested six.
A judge determining this spring that he was unable to stand trial due to his inability to follow and participate in his own trial. Klein has been diagnosed with schizophrenia by his treating psychiatrist, Dr. Marcel Hediger, and the court had heard that he was afflicted by severe hallucinations and disorganized thinking.
He含羞草研究社檚 since been held at the Colony Farm Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam, where Thursday含羞草研究社檚 hearing was held.
The review board is tasked with determining if Klein含羞草研究社檚 mental fitness has improved.
The family of one of the victims was present for the hearing, but due to a publication ban cannot be named. However, a representative of the family, Dave Teixeira, spoke with reporters following the hearing about how the family is holding up.
| An artist's sketch depicts Gabriel Klein in court during his fitness hearing on April 19 at B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster. (Sketch by Sheila Allan) |
Teixeira said the family is hoping the board doesn含羞草研究社檛 rush to come back to another hearing on Klein含羞草研究社檚 fitness for trial.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 these necessary delays for Gabriel Klein to get healthy to attend a trial in the future that含羞草研究社檚 important. The family has no issue with that delay, it含羞草研究社檚 the unknown that含羞草研究社檚 the frustrating part 含羞草研究社� no one knows when this will actually end,含羞草研究社� he said, adding that it is challenging to hear Klein speak at the hearing.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 distressing. They can hear this voice; they can含羞草研究社檛 hear their daughter含羞草研究社檚 voice.含羞草研究社�
Klein spoke during Thursday含羞草研究社檚 hearing, although he mumbled and sometimes slurred words, causing members of the BC Review Board to ask Klein to repeat himself. Klein said the voices he hears distracted him throughout Thursday含羞草研究社檚 hearing.
Crown lawyer Michaela Donnelly noted that 含羞草研究社淢r. Klein came across as intelligent and able to articulate 含羞草研究社� far more than a yes or no answer.含羞草研究社�
Klein also demonstrated some understanding of the court processes, saying that the judge含羞草研究社檚 role is 含羞草研究社渢o prosecute me,含羞草研究社� the Crown含羞草研究社檚 role was to 含羞草研究社減ut me in jail含羞草研究社� and his lawyer含羞草研究社檚 role was to 含羞草研究社渒eep me out of jail.含羞草研究社�
That, Donnelly said, demonstrated he could have some understanding of what is happening in court if he were to proceed with a trial.
Defence lawyer Martin Peters, however, countered with testimony from Hediger and Dr. Andrew Kolchak, an independent psychiatrist who also testified at Thursday含羞草研究社檚 hearing. Both told the court that while Klein is at times able to hold conversation, that ability fluctuates and likely would not hold for a lengthy trial.
As well, he pointed to Klein含羞草研究社檚 testimony that he was anxious to get on with the legal proceedings. Following the hearing, Peters said that if the case did proceed to trial, he would argue Klein was not criminally responsible for his actions.
Hediger and Kolchak were in agreement that Klein was not fit for trial, although the two differed on the severity of Klein含羞草研究社檚 psychosis and whether or not he was experiencing disorganized thinking.
While Hediger maintained his schizophrenia diagnosis and said he continued to believe Klein suffers from disorganized thinking, and thus can含羞草研究社檛 focus on tasks at hand or even holding a conversation, Kolchak came to different conclusions.
He said he was being conservative in not diagnosing schizophrenia, but said Klein does suffer from severe psychosis, and disagreed with Hediger on disorganized thinking. Klein had significant struggles with staying on track during three separate interviews, but Kolchak said it did not quite amount to a thought disorder.
Kolchak did note a significant presence of auditory hallucinations, something Hediger had said had declined since a hearing that took place in July. Kolchak noted the presence of three voices 含羞草研究社� which he named Lindsey, Ryan and Lucy 含羞草研究社� and said one of those voices commanded Klein to do things ranging from sitting down, standing up and taking showers to harming people or sexually assaulting people.
However, he said Klein himself expressed that he did not want to hurt anyone.
Those inconsistencies between Kolchak and Hediger became a focus for Crown counsel, with Donnelly suggesting Klein could be malingering or faking symptoms.
Kolchak noted that he did wonder himself about that, but said Klein含羞草研究社檚 psychosis was too severe to make that determination at this point. Klein, who previously refused medications, is now co-operating on that front, and doctors estimated it would take three to six months before he mentally stabilizes.
