Psychologist testifies at Bentley murder trial
By JEREMY APPEL on October 22, 2019.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com
A man who
repeatedly confessed to a brutal 2016 murder “snapped” after a lifetime of trauma, substance abuse and mental illness, according to a psychologist’s testimony.
Court heard Monday from Leslie Block, the first of two witnesses in the trial to determine whether Noah Bentley is criminally culpable for second-degree murder after stabbing Brenda Woloski to death in November 2016.
Block, who’s practised as a psychologist for 32 years, interviewed the accused twice at the Edmonton Remand Centre – on June 27 and July 4, 2018.
The offence was the culmination of trauma Bentley had experienced since he was sexually abused by his stepmother at a young age, the psychologist testified.
Block contrasted the “viciousness of the crime” – Bentley stabbed Woloski 23 times – with Bentley’s lack of a prior criminal record.
“It’s not a crime of passion. It’s not driven by aggression,” said Block. “It does not look like he’s motivated by power, greed or money.”
Although Bentley was found to suffer from borderline personality disorder and “schizoid tendencies,” Block said they don’t explain the brutality he inflicted on Woloski.
The psychologist said the amount of stab wounds on Woloski’s body suggests a familiarity with the victim, but Bentley and her had just met that evening.
Bentley suffered from “early abandonment issues” as a result of his unstable life at home, which “often carries over,” informing Bentley’s later “erratic” behaviour.
“He has difficulty trusting people, which is very relevant for him,” said Block.
Block said Bentley’s relatively idle lifestyle contributed to him reaching a breaking point.
“If you don’t have an activity or vocation, then you’re left drifting. This man has been drifting for a long time,” he testified, describing Bentley’s “hapless,” “inadequate” and “irresponsible” existence.
The accused suffered from substance abuse issues, although had been sober for an unspecified amount of time until the day of Woloski’s slaying.
He spent that entire day drinking after getting into a fight with his spouse over dirty dishes, which Block said was the result of a fear she was having an affair.
Bentley generally had difficulty sustaining healthy relationships as a result of his childhood trauma, he added.
“We get a picture of a person who cannot connect,” he said.
The accused was suffering from an “emotional crisis,” which had a “catastrophic outcome.”
“All these factors converged until the point – to be blunt – that he snapped,” Block testified. “I can think of no other reason because he stabbed her so many times.”
Trial continues today.
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