A psychiatrist called by the defence at the Mark Dobson murder trial in Barrie testified on Tuesday that Dobson was diagnosed with schizophrenia eight days after he was arrested for the murders of two women.
Dobson is charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Mary Hepburn and Helen Dorrington at the Travelodge Hotel on Bayfield Street in 2012.
Dr. Hunter Lorberg told the court that Dobson was on suicide watch, and suffered from delusions and hallucinations.
Lorberg also said Dobson reported that he was able to communicate telepathically with demons and his girlfriend Mary Hepburn, telling the court that Dobson believed he would reconnect with Hepburn in an afterlife.
Lorberg told the court that Dobson “couldn't have just woken up one morning and had those beliefs", saying that "he had to have a psychotic disorder for a long period of time”.
Lorberg says it’s his opinion that Dobson has a chronic case of schizophrenia.
He says Dobson has been taking medication for a year but is still showing symptoms.
On Monday, another defence appointed psychiatrist, Dr. Gary Chaimwotz, testified that Dobson didn’t understand the killings were wrong.
The defence is trying to argue that Dobson is not criminally responsible for his actions.
The Crown is suggesting that Dobson not only understands the law and his condition, but that he’s also fabricating his story to try and receive a verdict of “not criminally responsible”.
In the coming days, the defence is planning to call another psychiatrist to the stand to provide more testimony about Dobson’s mental health.
The Crown is expected to counter that by calling a psychiatrist who assessed Dobson at the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health.
