Inspired by videos of pedestrians being hit, an autistic man who refused to take his antipsychotic medication deliberately mowed down an angry cyclist and pedestrian in 2020 in Brossard. Radoslav Guentchev, however, had “impaired judgment”, according to experts. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Friday.
Posted at 4:36 p.m.
Two “arbitrary and completely senseless” deaths. This is how Judge François Dadour summed up the “serious” crimes committed by Radoslav Guentchev on September 7, 2020. Pedestrian Huiping Ding and cyclist Gérard Chong Soon Yuen had no chance. They were unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Why did Radoslav Guentchev commit such a crime? Simply because he had been scolded by his father for not flushing the toilet. Furious, he then got behind the wheel of his father’s car – he had a valid license – and drove into innocent citizens.
He first accelerated to hit the cyclist on Niagara Avenue in Brossard, then three minutes later, he swerved to change direction drastically in order to hit a pedestrian on the sidewalk. The two victims were completely unknown to him.
Accused of unpremeditated murder, Radoslav Guentchev pleaded guilty on Friday to two reduced counts of manslaughter and two counts of fatal hit-and-run. Judge François Dadour then endorsed the common suggestion of 12 years in prison, of which there are approximately less than 9 years left to serve.
The psychiatric profile of the accused is at the heart of this very particular case. The 32-year-old man has autism spectrum disorder, recurrent psychotic disorder, mild intellectual disability, obsessive-like anxiety disorder and attention deficit disorder.
According to psychiatrist Louis Morissette, the cause of the crime is essentially linked to autism spectrum disorder and the accused’s mild intellectual disability. These two “significant problems” and paranoid elements “significantly impaired the reasoning ability, the ability to manage intense emotions and decision-making” of the accused, concluded the defense expert.
Radoslav Guentchev did not want to kill pedestrians, says Dr Morissette. “It’s not a thoughtful decision in the usual, normal functional mindset,” said Dr.r Morissette during the hearing. His mind was “altered” and his judgment “disturbed”, but not enough to be unable to tell right from wrong.
For Radoslav Guentchev, going after citizens was a “way of expressing his anger” against his father, continued the psychiatrist. Since in the videos he watched, people did not die, the accused did not think of killing people in “real life”, according to the Dr Morissette.
The prosecution’s expert, psychiatrist Sylvain Faucher, shares similar conclusions, namely that Radoslav Guentchev’s ability to appreciate the consequences of his actions may have been “altered” by his anger. The Dr Faucher also points out that the accused was “inspired” by videos showing motorists hitting passers-by.
“I am of the opinion that the evidence indicates a sufficiently diminished capacity for judgment in Mr. Guentchev for the overall psychic portrait to reduce his degree of moral culpability. I believe that this factor plays an important role in the sentence imposed, despite the extremely serious facts with catastrophic consequences for the families of the victims,” concluded Judge Dadour.
The judge, however, noted as an aggravating factor the fact that the accused voluntarily stopped taking his antipsychotic medication for “derisory” reasons. These drugs allowed him to better manage intense emotions. His father and grandmother, however, encouraged him not to take them anymore.
A few months before the tragedy, Radoslav Guentchev was however followed by the Commission for the examination of mental disorders (Administrative Tribunal of Quebec) because he had been declared not criminally responsible for certain crimes. However, the Commission decided to release him in 2019, as he was stable and taking his medication well.
“When he doesn’t take his medication, it explodes. And he can get aggressive, often towards me,” his mother told the court. She confided how her son had difficulty adapting to Quebec society following their departure from Bulgaria during his childhood. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he locked himself away, terrorized by the disease.
Today, she says she sees her son again, since he took his medication in detention. “His emotions are much more stabilized. He is more in control of himself, ”she rejoices.
Radoslav Guentchev also briefly addressed the court: “I really apologize for what I did. I regret a lot. I will take my medicine,” he said.
He will be prohibited from driving for the rest of his life.
Me Rémi Quintal defended the accused, while Mr.e Marie-Josée Thériault represented the Crown.