Accused killer tried to enlist in the military

Accused killer Gregory Allan Despres tried several times to join the Canadian military and the U.S. marines but was never accepted,his grandfather told aFrederictonjudge onTuesday.

Adolph Despres testified his grandson would often stay in the bathroom for up to eight hours talking to himself in a variety of voices, including those of women. He said he thought the strange behaviour might have been part of his grandson's military training.

Despres, 25,is accused of the brutal killings of his elderly neighbours, Fred Fulton, 74, and Verna Decarie, 70, who died on April 23, 2005, in Minto, N.B. Both were stabbed repeatedly and Fulton was decapitated.

His second trial, which began Monday about eight months after his first trial was halted because of his bizarre behaviour, is being heard in the Court of Queen's Bench in Fredericton. Despres hasonce again plead not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.

Despres was arrested in Massachusetts on April 27, 2005.

A naturalized American citizen, he was allowed to cross the border at Calais, Maine, even though he was carrying a homemade sword, brass knuckles, knife, pepper spray, a chainsaw and a hatchet.

He told U.S. border officials that he was a marine sniper and an assassin with 700 kills. Several border guards testified at the first trial that they took the weapons and fingerprinted Despres, but he could not be detained because he held a valid U.S. passport.

During his first trial in March, Despres wasdeclared unfit to stand trial and ordered to undergo treatment for paranoid schizophrenia.

In July, a provincial review board ruled Despreshad responded well to psychiatric treatment, understoodthe court proceedings and the charges against him, andwas fit to stand trial again.

Graphic evidence presented

The second day of theproceedings beganwith Justice William Grant viewing a 15-minute forensic video of the crime scene.

Many of the victims' family and friends in the courtroom left as the graphic evidence was shown to the court. Those who stayed wept quietly.

Despres showed no emotion during the video and continued to intently look at the screen even when Fulton's severed head is revealed inside a pillow case under the kitchen table.

More than 50 people are expected to testifyduring the trial, being heard by judge alone. The trial is scheduled to last three weeks.

Mental health will be an issue during the trial

Despres's defence teamhas asked for a mental health assessment that could help determinewhether he could beheld criminally responsible for the crimes he is charged with.

It is expected that special attention will be paid to Despres's mental health during his new trial.

"You have to understand, he is on a heavy-duty drug regime, one that is so strong they have to test his blood to make sure he's all right taking this test" to determine his criminal responsibility, defence lawyer Ron Morris said on Monday.

Though Despres wasassessed for his capacity to stand trial, the provincial review board was not tasked with assessing Despres's mental state at the time of the alleged crime or determining whether he could be held criminally responsible, if he were found to have committed the killings.

Mike Richardson, Fulton's nephew, said his family has already lost faith in the justice system as the case has dragged on more than two years after the killings. He also said that the question of criminal responsibility is infuriating the family.

"We could go through this trial and get a guilty verdict and the defence could bring up criminal responsibility," Richardson said.

"I don't think I want Gregory Despres walking the streets again, and I'll fight to the day I die to make sure he is kept away."