Aubrey Levin not able to cross-examine in sex assault trial

A former Calgary forensic psychiatrist on trial for sexual assault charges now says he is not qualified to act as his own lawyer.

Aubrey Levin, who isaccused of sexually assaulting 10 male patients,fired his lawyer earlier this week.

The first witness to testify ina Calgary courtroom Thursdaymorningas Levin represented himself was Dr. Francois Belanger, the Calgary medical zone directorofAlberta Health Services.

Belanger said Levin was allowed to do physical exams, but was expected to practise as a forensic psychiatristand did nothave privilege to conduct procedures in urology, which is the branch of medicine concerned with the function of the urinary system.

Three videos were shown earlier in the trialfrom an alleged victim who recordedhisappointments with Levinby wearing a spy cam wrist watch. The videos show Levin undoing the allegedvictims pants and fondling him for more than 10 minutes.

Judge steps in

When Levin was asked to cross examine, he stood up and said, "Milady, I have never been trained as a lawyer. I have never been trained to do cross-examination and over andbeyond that, I am hampered by..." and that's we he was cut off byCourt of Queen's Bench Justice Donna Shelley,who sent the jury out.

The jury was later informed that there would beno cross-examination for this morning'sthree witnesses,one of thembeing the chief probation officer for the Calgary area.

Most of the alleged victims had a criminal record and were on medication at the time they met with Levin as part of a court order.

The thirdwitness wasan ex-girlfriend of one of the alleged victims, and while she was not cross-examined the judge did ask clarifying questions.

"I regret I am not trained to cross examine," Levinlater reiterated in court.

The trial is set to resume on Monday and it'snot clear at this point whether Levin will doany questioning in his own defence including the 10 alleged victims who are set to testify.