Julien Fortin, centre, son of Suzanne Clermont who was stabbed to death on Halloween night by a man with a sword, is comforted in front of the memorial to his mother, on Nov. 2, 2020 in Quebec City.Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
An expert for the Crown says the suspect in Quebec City’s Halloween 2020 murders is narcissistic, seeks recognition, and could not have been delirious the night of the stabbings.
Neuropsychologist Dr. William Pothier told jurors that Carl Girouard hesitated before murdering two people and injuring five others in the Old Quebec district on Oct. 31, 2020, adding that patients in a state of delirium don’t usually doubt themselves.
Girouard, 26, is accused of two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder and has admitted to the physical acts, but he maintains he was not criminally responsible because he suffered from a mental disorder.
Defence lawyer Pierre Gagnon is cross-examining the expert today, who has described Girouard as someone who wanted attention but was rejected by his peers because of his disturbing and provocative behaviour.
Pothier rejects the claim made in court by the defence’s psychiatrist, who said the suspect likely suffered from schizophrenia and was in a delusional state the night of the stabbings.
Pothier assessed Girouard in March 2022, weeks before the trial, conducting several tests and reading through the suspect’s medical files.
The defence has concluded its case and the Crown is presenting a pair of expert witnesses to counter Girouard’s defence.
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