Veteran who killed household, himself would have been criminally accountable, inquiry informed

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A former Canadian soldier who fatally shot three members of his household after which himself was conscious of what he was doing and would have been thought of criminally chargeable for his actions had he survived, a forensic psychiatrist testified Tuesday at a Nova Scotia fatality inquiry. 

Scott Theriault carried out a psychological post-mortem on Lionel Desmond for the inquiry investigating the deaths of the Desmond household. 

He discovered that the 33-year-old Afghanistan veteran’s continual post-traumatic stress dysfunction signs didn’t forestall him from realizing that his actions on Jan. 3, 2017, have been each morally mistaken and would have been deadly. 

That day, Desmond fatally shot his spouse, Shanna, their 10-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, and his mom, Brenda, inside a house in Higher Massive Tracadie, N.S., earlier than turning the gun on himself.

Desmond had been launched lower than 5 months prior from a psychiatric in-patient program for veterans in Montreal. His remedy group at Ste. Anne’s Hospital has testified he made solely minor enhancements in stabilizing a number of the signs of his complicated post-traumatic stress dysfunction, together with his potential to manage anger.

Theriault is an knowledgeable witness on the inquiry in Port Hawkesbury, N.S., which is how forestall future deaths like these of the Desmond household. 

Shanna Desmond and her daughter, Aaliyah. (Fb)

Identified in 2011

Among the key questions the inquiry has been looking for solutions to incorporate whether or not Shanna, Aaliyah and Brenda Desmond had entry to applicable home violence intervention. 

The inquiry has additionally heard from many witnesses over 20 months of intermittent hearings concerning the difficulties Lionel Desmond had in accessing care on the finish of his life.

Theriault agreed with the opinion of psychiatrist Ian Slayter that the previous soldier’s situation had additional deteriorated following his discharge from Ste. Anne’s Hospital. Slayter noticed Desmond after he confirmed up at an emergency room in Antigonish, N.S., in October 2016.

Desmond was first identified with post-traumatic stress dysfunction in 2011, 4 years after returning residence from a seven-month tour in Afghanistan. 

Regardless of remedy, he by no means recovered to a degree the place he was capable of stay within the army. In 2015, he was medically discharged.

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