Richard Bain's irrational behaviour doesn't mean he's psychotic, murder trial hears

A forensicpsychiatrist called to testify for the Crown is working to dismantle the ideathat Richard Bain was psychotic and delusional duringthe deadlyelection-night shooting in2012.

"I think his beliefs are not psychotic beliefs," Dr. Joel Watts told the Quebec Superior Court jury on Thursday, referring to Bain'sreligious and political views.

"People do things sometimes that we consider irrational ...but that doesn't mean it's psychotic."

Watts's testimony is expected to continue on Friday.

The court was suspended early on Thursday because Bain was having a hard time staying awake.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer told the jury the proceedings would be suspended for the dayabout two hours early.

"I hope that after a good sleep, Mr. Bain will be as alert as he has been since the beginning of the trial," Cournoyer said, adding that the decision should have no influence on the jury's decision.

Bain isaccused of first-degree murder in the shooting death of lighting technician DenisBlanchette.

He waskilled while standing outside Montreal's Metropolis concert hall on the night of Sept. 4, 2012, while thePartiQubcoiscelebrated its election win inside.

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Watts was appointedby the court to perform an assessment of Bain'scriminal responsibility, and he was calledtotestify about his findings for the prosecution.

Watts, the court has heard,disagrees with thepsychiatrist hired by the defence, whobelieves the accused murderer was suffering from a psychotic delusion on the night of the deadly shooting.

The defence is arguing Bain should not be held criminally responsible for his actions because of a mental disorder.

Beliefs common for born again Christians

In earlier testimony, defence psychiatristDr.Marie-FrdriqueAllardpointed to examples ofBain'sdelusions, for instance when he said after his arrest thathe would be set free because "God will pick the jury. God will pick the judge."

"When you start thinking that God may intervene on your behalf, choose the judge, choose the jury...then I believe that the belief is delusional," she testified.

Wattsdisagrees.

On Wednesday, he told the jurythat Baindoesn'tnecessarily believe that"God is literally going to open the gates of jail and let him go free."

He said thattype of figure of speech ismainstream for some fundamentalist Christians and born again Christians.

"We should be careful to say that it's necessarily psychotic behaviour," he added.

Interview with CJAD'inhibited' not psychotic

The defence team hasalso suggested that a phone interview Baingave the English-language radio stationCJAD from jail showed symptoms of psychosis.

During the conversation, Bain tells journalist Trudie Mason that he has a vision from the God of Abraham for Montreal to separate from Quebec and become its own province.

• Bain tells CJAD about a'vision' from 'God of Abraham'

Watts told the jury that while Bain's conversation with CJADmight be "ill-advised" or irrational, he found no evidence in that interview of mental illness.

"I don't believe that his religious views can be considered psychotic. I think it's possible that in this interview he was a little disinhibitedand expressing his views in a way that probably wasn't a very good judgment of his," Watts said.

He pointed out that just because youcan't rationalize with or sway someonein his or herbelief does not mean that person isdelusional.

Watts used theexample of Americans who are firm in their stance on the right to bear arms, and those who go so far as tosay they have the right tobuild up militias.

"I don'tthink anyone in my profession would jump to call the people who have those beliefs psychotic," he testified.