Richard Bain's irrational behaviour doesn't mean he's psychotic, murder trial hears

A forensic psychiatrist called to testify for the Crown is working to dismantle the idea that Richard Bain was psychotic and delusional during the deadly election-night shooting in 2012.

"I think his beliefs are not psychotic beliefs," Dr. Joel Watts told the Quebec Superior Court jury on Thursday, referring to Bain's religious and political views.

"People do things sometimes that we consider irrational ... but that doesn't mean it's psychotic."

Watts's testimony is expected to continue on Friday.

The court was suspended early on Thursday because Bain was having a hard time staying awake.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer told the jury the proceedings would be suspended for the day about two hours early.

"I hope that after a good sleep, Mr. Bain will be as alert as he has been since the beginning of the trial," Cournoyer said, adding that the decision should have no influence on the jury's decision.

Bain is accused of first-degree murder in the shooting death of lighting technician Denis Blanchette.

He was killed while standing outside Montreal's Metropolis concert hall on the night of Sept. 4, 2012, while the Parti Québécois celebrated its election win inside. 

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Watts was appointed by the court to perform an assessment of Bain's criminal responsibility, and he was called to testify about his findings for the prosecution.

Watts, the court has heard, disagrees with the psychiatrist hired by the defence, who believes the accused murderer was suffering from a psychotic delusion on the night of the deadly shooting.

The defence is arguing Bain should not be held criminally responsible for his actions because of a mental disorder.

Beliefs common for born again Christians

In earlier testimony, defence psychiatrist Dr. Marie-Frédérique Allard pointed to examples of Bain's delusions, for instance when he said after his arrest that he would be set free because "God will pick the jury. God will pick the judge."

"When you start thinking that God may intervene on your behalf, choose the judge, choose the jury ... then I believe that the belief is delusional," she testified.

Watts disagrees.

On Wednesday, he told the jury that Bain doesn't necessarily believe that "God is literally going to open the gates of jail and let him go free."

He said that type of figure of speech is mainstream for some fundamentalist Christians and born again Christians.

"We should be careful to say that it's necessarily psychotic behaviour," he added. ​

Interview with CJAD 'inhibited' not psychotic

The defence team has also suggested that a phone interview Bain gave the English-language radio station CJAD from jail showed symptoms of psychosis.

During the conversation, Bain tells journalist Trudie Mason that he has a vision from the God of Abraham for Montreal to separate from Quebec and become its own province. 

• Bain tells CJAD about a 'vision' from 'God of Abraham'

Watts told the jury that while Bain's conversation with CJAD might be "ill-advised" or irrational, he found no evidence in that interview of mental illness.

"I don't believe that his religious views can be considered psychotic. I think it's possible that in this interview he was a little disinhibited and expressing his views in a way that probably wasn't a very good judgment of his," Watts said.

He pointed out that just because you can't rationalize with or sway someone in his or her belief does not mean that person is delusional.

Watts used the example of Americans who are firm in their stance on the right to bear arms, and those who go so far as to say they have the right to build up militias.

"I don't think anyone in my profession would jump to call the people who have those beliefs psychotic," he testified.