Accused in Alberta peace officer's killing 'mentally ill,' says lawyer

The lawyer for a man accused of killing an Alberta peace officer says her client should be found not criminally responsible.

Rod Lazenby was called to Trevor Kloschinsky's property for a dog complaint in August 2012.

The retired RCMP officer's body was dropped off at a Calgary police station shortly after.He hadbeen beaten to death.

But in a psychiatric report released Thursday,Kloschinsky's lawyer said her client was mentally ill.

"It's always difficult when you have clients that are severely suffering from a mental illness and are in the criminal justice system ... because it's not Charles Dickens' time," said Maggie O'Shaughnessy.

The case has been put over for two weeks while the Crown reviews the psychiatric report.

In the meantime, Kloschinsky is being kept at the Forensic Psychiatric Centre at O'Shaughnessy's request.

"It is cruel to have these people in this state, either housed in CRC[Calgary Remand Centre] which my client was until shortly before I came along and suffering in those conditions. It seems to be a type of pre-judgment punishment that happens to the mentally ill."