Neighbours feared Despres before killings, court hears

Fred Fulton told his grandson he thought his neighbour Gregory Allen Despres was crazy and would end up killing someone, the Court of Queen's Bench in Fredericton heard on Wednesday.

Fulton, 74, and Verna Decarie, 70, were found dead In their Minto, N.B., home on April 26, 2005. Both were stabbed repeatedly and Fulton was decapitated.

Despres, 25,who is accused of two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths, has pleaded not guilty.

Fulton's grandson, Fred Mowat, testified in a voir dire Wednesday that his grandfather was afraid of Despres. Judge William Grant, who is overseeing the non-jury trial,has yet to determine if he will admit Mowat's testimony as evidence.

"My grandfather said he was scared and couldn't sleep at night," Mowat told the court. "He went to the doctor and was taking sleeping pills."

There had been an ongoing fight between Fulton and Despres regarding a waterline, Mowat said. Despres was living in a trailer on land next to Fulton's home.

Mowat testified he had asked Despres to leave his grandfather and Decarie alone a year before the murder.

Despres had agreed to, Mowat said.

Mowat also told the court about a fight in 2004 between himself and Despres about noise coming out of his trailer. Despres pulled a knife and threatened him,Mowat told the court.

Charges were laid against Despres in connection to the incident and he was eventually found guilty of assault with a weapon and uttering threats.

He was set to be sentenced on the charges on the same day he crossed the border into the United States on April 25, 2005.

Despres became agitated during Mowat's testimony and began to swear in the courtroom.

This is second trial for Despres.

His first trial was halted in February because of his bizarre behaviour in the courtroom. In April, he was declared unfit to stand trial and was ordered to undergo treatment for paranoid schizophrenia.

In July, a provincial review board ruled Despres had responded well to psychiatric treatment, understood the court proceedings and the charges against him, and was fit to stand trial again.