Mental state raised in spousal-maiming case
Trial dates set for Adam Crowley, 29, of Oromocto, but defence is exploring application for psychiatric exam to determine possible exemption from criminal responsibility
Though an Oromocto man accused of maiming his wife has denied the charges, court heard Friday the defence is considering an application for a psychiatric assessment of the accused’s mental state.
Adam Crowley, 29, of Tweedsmuir Court, elected in November to be tried in provincial court and pleaded not guilty to several serious charges alleging offences against his spouse.
The indictable counts include an aggravated assault on his wife, Karimah Crowley, by maiming her; kidnapping; threats to cause her death and/or bodily harm; and mischief by interfering with the lawful use of his wife’s property, all alleged to have occurred in Fredericton on Oct. 14.
The case was back in provincial court Friday for a pre-trial conference and to schedule trial dates.
Crowley, who’s been in custody since his arrest last fall, appeared in person in court.
Crown prosecutor Jennifer Cooper said she’d been assigned the case, but as she’d only just recently returned from maternity leave, she hadn’t had an opportunity to review the entirety of the file.
However, she said she and defence lawyer L.A. Henry are in ongoing discussions regarding a possible resolution in the case.
Furthermore, Henry told Judge Natalie LeBlanc on Friday she’s in the process of gathering medical information on her client to determine if the defence will seek a court order for a psychiatric assessment.
That assessment would be to determine if Crowley was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the alleged offence that might exempt him from criminal responsibility, she said.
Despite those efforts, Henry and Cooper asked the court to schedule Crowley’s trial dates, given the seriousness of the charges and the fact that he’s in custody.
LeBlanc said the pre-trial management conferences that are now standard in more serious or complicated cases are designed to avoid setting aside court time for trials that ultimately don’t happen.
She also noted that while Crowley is in custody, the legal deadline for the conclusion of the case is April 2025, meaning there’s plenty of time for an adjournment to allow the two sides to continue their discussions and to allow the defence to pursue a psychiatric assessment.
“I think it would be helpful for [Crowley’s] state of mind to set a trial date,” Henry said.
Cooper said she felt it was advisable to schedule the trial sooner than later to avoid any potential arguments about unnecessary delays down the line.
The prosecutor said the Crown would also need to call a medical expert as a witness at trial, so setting those dates would be helpful.
The judge acknowledged it was a unique situation and agreed to set the matter down for trial, but she noted the parties can bring the case back before the court sooner if there are new developments that might avert the trial or alter plans.
As Cooper indicated 1½ days would be needed for trial, LeBlanc scheduled it for June 21 and Aug. 2, given the availability of counsel and witnesses.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
How do they differentiate between mentally ill people and jut plain mean to their spouses , big bossy type males, who are NOT letting them leave them for better lives?? Most can fake being sorry to both the Judge and their intimate partners.