Gregory Allen Despres was charged Friday with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his elderly Minto neighbours
Richard Duplain
The Daily Gleaner
September 17, 2005
The man charged in a gruesome double murder in Minto will undergo a full psychological assessment to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.
On Friday, provincial court Judge Patricia Cumming ordered Gregory Allen Despres, 23, of Minto to be assessed.
Despres will be back in court no later than Oct. 13, at which time results of the psychological report will be given to the judge.
RCMP charged Despres with two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings on April 23-24 of Frederick Franklin Fulton, 74, and Veronica (Verna) Decarie, 70, of Slope Road in Minto.
Fulton and Decarie ...
Police information shows Decarie suffered 40 stab wounds to her face and upper body while Fulton sustained 30 stab wounds with some penetrating his heart. He was decapitated.
Family and friends of Fulton and Decarie were at the Burton court building Friday morning. Despres was brought to the courthouse under heavy guard by RCMP and provincial sheriffs.
"I wish we still had capital punishment in this country," said Nellie Barton, who is related to Fulton. "He's ruined a lot of lives and he doesn't deserve to live."
Inside the heavily guarded courtroom, Despres and the victims' family members and friends traded icy stares.
Some people appeared somber and interested in the court proceedings while others used the opportunity to vent their frustration.
"You're a pig," shouted one onlooker inside the court.
Meanwhile, Fulton's family asked for privacy in their grief.
Despres -- who was dressed in clean casual clothes and sporting his familiar Mohawk haircut -- sat with his hands shackled behind his back.
His feet were bound with chains. He appeared co-operative with his guards and offered no comment while entering or leaving the courthouse.
Criminal defence lawyer Randy Maillet asked Cumming to order a mental health assessment for the murder suspect.
He said he made the request based on conversations with Despres's family and information that was disclosed to him by Crown prosecutor Paul Hawkins.
"I have sufficient concerns (about Despres's psychological condition)," Maillet said.
Hawkins didn't object to the defence request.
"It could be beneficial to the court," he said.
Hawkins said Dr. S.N. Aktar of Dorchester would do the examination.
"He is a highly recognized forensic psychiatrist," he said.
Cumming said remands for psychological assessment to determine fitness to stand trial usually take about five days. She allowed extra time for his assessment but insisted Despres be returned to court no later than Oct. 13 at 1 p.m.
After the deaths of the couple in April, Despres fled from the province.
He was arrested in Massachusetts on April 27 and was held in U.S. custody.
In July, a U.S. federal judge in Boston ordered Despres extradited to Canada.
While in the United States, Despres's U.S. attorney Michael Andrews raised concerns about the possibility the Minto man was experiencing serious psychiatric problems.
RCMP Sgt. Gary Cameron said Despres was escorted by members of the federal police force Thursday from a corrections facility in Massachusetts to an aircraft.
Despres arrived at the Fredericton Airport around 5 p.m. and was taken under heavy guard to an RCMP lockup in Oromocto and held until his Friday morning court appearance.