Psych exam still not done in break-in case
Matthew Duke, 28, of Saint John, accused of stealing shotgun from rural property in 2024
A court order for a forensic psychiatric assessment for a Saint John man accused of a 2024 break-in expired at the end of last month, and the defendant’s lawyer says the doctor hasn’t been able to reach him.
Matthew Duke, 28, of Lansdowne Avenue in Saint John, is scheduled to stand trial May 25 on charges alleging he broke into a Peltoma Settlement camp near Tracy and stole a Mossberg 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun from that location; possessed the shotgun without a licence; possessed it knowing he didn’t have a licence; stole liquor, food and ammunition; and possessed break-in instruments, all on Sept. 22, 2024.
However, defence counsel Michael Mallory applied to the court last year for a forensic psychiatric assessment to determine if his client might have been suffering from a mental disorder at the time of his alleged offences that would exempt him from criminal responsibility.
