Mentally ill defendant now deemed fit
John Paul Clifford Wright, 42, of no fixed address, has undergone treatment at secure psychiatric facility, still faces charges alleging various crimes, including church break-in
A Fredericton man deemed unfit to stand trial this summer on various charges, including a break-in at a church, is now fit after a few months of treatment at a psychiatric facility, a court heard Thursday.
John Paul Clifford Wright, 42, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone Thursday as prosecutions on various charges from the past year resumed.
Wright - who’s at the Restigouche Hospital Centre, a secure psychiatric facility in Campbellton - was deemed unfit to stand trial at a fitness hearing in July after undergoing an assessment at the hospital.
He was remanded to Restigouche for treatment, and he was back before the court Thursday after being deemed fit to stand trial.
Wright was far more lucid during Thursday’s proceedings as compared to previous appearances in court.
He faces charges of causing damage to a carpet belonging to Robert Curtis on Dec. 19; stealing cash from Moco Downtown and breaching his probation March 4; breaching a police undertaking requiring him to attend court April 6; breaking into the Nashwaaksis Baptist Church and stealing from it May 28; and failing to attend court again June 1.
During his fitness hearing in July, it was suggested Wright might have been suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offences that could exempt him from criminal responsibility, prosecutor Jennifer Bueno said Thursday, suggesting a new assessment on that issue was likely the next step to take in the case.
“I have no grounds,” said defence lawyer Michael Mallory, referring to the fact he didn’t have a documented basis to request that order.
But Judge Mary Jane Richards said the fitness assessment report pointed to evidence that would merit a psychiatric exam to determine criminal responsibility.
Wright appeared to want to admit to the various charges against him though.
“I’m ready to enter a plea today,” he told the court Thursday, noting he wanted to be placed under the purview of the New Brunswick review board.
The review board oversees the cases over defendants deemed unfit and offenders found to be exempt from criminal responsibility due to mental illness.
Richards explained, though, that for Wright’s case to be referred to the review board, he first needed to be assessed by the staff at Restigouche on that issue.
“I need that assessment in order to find you not criminally responsible,” the judge told him.
One of the potential stumbling blocks, Richards said, was whether Wright’s allegedly criminal conduct was the result of mental illness or his abuse of illicit drugs, because the latter would preclude an exemption from criminal responsibility.
Wright said his actions would have stemmed from a combination of the two.
The judge ordered the new assessment and remanded Wright again to Restigouche. She scheduled a hearing on the criminal-responsibility issue for Dec. 4.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.