Bentley knew what he was doing: forensic psychiatrist
By JEREMY APPEL on October 23, 2019.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com
Noah Bentley’s ability to accurately describe to police the residence where Brenda Woloski’s bloody body laid suggests he knew what he was doing when he stabbed her repeatedly, a forensic psychiatrist testified.
Dr. Yuri Metelitsa took the stand at the Medicine Hat Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday as the second of two expert witnesses in Bentley’s trial to determine whether the accused is criminally responsible for second-degree murder.
Metelitsa, a forensic psychiatrist of 45 years with expertise in criminal responsibility, was in charge of Bentley’s psychological assessment at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre, where Bentley was institutionalized from Feb. 17 to March 27, 2017.
The accused was arrested in November 2016 for stabbing Woloski to death, a woman he had just met at a bar after an entire day of heavy drinking, in her own residence. He confessed to the crime several times in the 24 hours after his arrest.
“He was even capable of pointing out where the house was. He knew what he did,” said Metelitsa. “He knew where he was. He knew who the victim was.”
The psychiatrist said Bentley came into the assessment with the expressed desire to be declared not criminally responsible.
He testified Bentley responded to a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test in an “extremely exaggerated manner,” suggesting he was trying to game the results.
“There’s no reason to even consider him not criminally responsible,” Metelitsa said.
He had harsh words for Monday’s witness – psychologist Leslie Block – who testified on behalf of the defence.
Block suggested Bentley would have previously committed violent offences under the influence of alcohol
if he had understood what he was doing the night of the homicide.
“I don’t understand this, because it’s completely untrue,” Metelitsa said. “I can’t imagine anyone from my field who would put their signature under this statement.”
Bentley was still able to appreciate the consequences of his actions – as evidenced by his repeated, consistent and detailed confessions to police – despite his severe intoxication, Metelitsa testified.
His previous behaviour when intoxicated is wholly immaterial, added Metelitsa.
Much of Block’s testimony Monday centred around the trauma Bentley had suffered after being molested by his stepmother when was 10, which he said eventually led him to a breaking point that resulted in Woloski’s death.
During cross-examination of Metelitsa, defence counsel Darren Mahoney inquired into whether any specific tests were done for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Metelitsa said a PTSD diagnosis is of limited value in forensic psychiatry since it depends largely on self-reporting trauma.
Not all people who suffer trauma have PTSD, Metelitsa added.
“There are no suspicions whatsoever he suffered from it,” he said.
Closing arguments are today.
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