(Quebec) Carl Girouard could not distinguish right from wrong when killing innocent bystanders with a saber because he was the victim of schizophrenic delirium, psychiatrist Gilles Chamberland told the court on Friday.
Posted at 11:34 a.m.
Updated at 12:59 p.m.
“If that’s not delirium, I don’t know what is!” He ran after unarmed people with a saber, thinking he was brave. And he was convinced that people would recognize his courage, ”said this psychiatrist from the Philippe-Pinel Institute.
The Dr Chamberland spoke to the Old Quebec saber killer at the request of his lawyer. He also reviewed reports from other experts produced during Girouard’s childhood.
His conclusion? The killer is neither narcissistic nor sadistic, but rather on the autism spectrum, a schizophrenic victim of a grandiose delirium fed by video games, which took up more and more space in his head until the passage in action.
“For him, you have to be in a world without technology, without cars, everyone for themselves as if we were survivors,” noted the psychiatrist.
“You might think he’s making it up… But that’s not bad, delirium. It’s sickness, it’s delirium. Otherwise, it will be difficult to explain that an individual says things like that. »
The defense expert began his testimony by talking about an assessment of Dr Hubert Van Gijseghem made during the separation of Carl Girouard’s parents. He had to assess their parenting ability, but the psychologist was especially struck by the personality of the 12-year-old child.
“From the age of 12, the psychologist notices that he is rigid in his ideas, very formal. He lacks social sensitivity and his touch is a bit robotic,” Dr.r Chamberland.
The psychologist finds in the young Girouard “a very important intrapsychic problem”, an aggressive and impulsive potential, morbid ideas. “It’s a pathology”, to add the Dr Chamberland.
Then, from the age of 16, the idea of killing people with a saber popped into Girouard’s head. This is the beginning of delirium, according to Gilles Chamberland. “He had like a character. It’s not two Carls yet. The disease has not yet structured everything. The more it goes forward, the more it will become two him. »
The pandemic has changed everything
The “two Carls” manage to live together for a while. He holds different jobs, remains functional despite his delirium. “For years, the healthy side has been able to ignore delirium. »
The young man is however isolated. He does not have friends. He never had sex. He buys 20 sabers over time and spends $2500 on masks of all kinds.
But in March 2020, thanks to the pandemic, Girouard quit his job, applied for employment insurance and took refuge in video games of swords.
“That’s where it turns. From the moment he stops working, he receives unemployment insurance benefits, he stays at home, just plays video games. »
He becomes more and more convinced that he must kill innocent people on Halloween night in Old Quebec. When he learns that it will be a full moon night, he decides to take action.
Girouard remains calm during his morbid escape and is just as calm during his arrest. He remains silent for five hours during his interrogation. These behaviors are not incompatible with delirium, according to Dr.r Chamberland.
“He is someone who is not capable of having emotions. He has feelings. We can find him cold, but he is like that, ”he said, recalling that according to him, he is on the autism spectrum.
The Dr Chamberland testified for the defense, which argues that the killer is not responsible for his actions, because he suffers from mental disorders. The Crown will cross-examine him on Monday at the Quebec courthouse.
“When he is delirious, he cannot realize it”, launched the psychiatrist.
Carl Girouard is charged with two first degree murders and five attempted murders.