Accused in Quebec City sword attack was obsessed with self-image, jury hears

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The man accused in Quebec’s Halloween 2020 stabbing attacks that left two people dead was a “victim of rejection” as a child who found refuge in his fantasies, the court heard on Monday.

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Carl Girouard, 26, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of François Duchesne, 56, and Suzanne Clermont, 61, on Oct. 31, 2020. He is also charged with five counts of attempted murder.

He has admitted to the killings but maintains he is not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.

On Monday, Crown witness William Pothier, a neuropsychologist, dismissed the defense’s assertion that Girouard suffered from schizophrenia, was on the autism spectrum and possibly had Tourette syndrome.

Pothier instead painted Girouard as a narcissist who has always craved attention but was rejected by classmates in his youth for exhibiting disturbing and provocative behaviours.

By high school, Pothier said, Girouard’s self-esteem had plummeted and he withdrew into himself. He found refuge in video games, where he could be the hero, and developed a sense of superiority over others, Pothier explained.

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Pothier assessed Girouard last March. He told the court he conducted a series of tests and interviews with the accused and read the many reports and professional assessments on his state of mind about him.

According to Pothier, Girouard was “obsessed with his self-image” when devising his plan for the night of the attacks and wanted to show off his superiority.

Earlier in the day, Crown prosecutor François Godin attacked the credibility of defense witness Dr. Gilles Chamberland, who has testified in the trial that Girouard was in a state of psychosis and suffering from delirium the night of the attacks.

Godin revealed that two months after the attacks, Girouard was already socializing with other details, playing cards with them and responding to humor.

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Moreover, the Crown said, around the age of 10, the accused had met with two child psychiatrists. Neither had diagnosed autism or schizophrenia, but rather ADHD for which they had prescribed Ritalin.

One of the child psychiatrists had also noted Girouard’s lack of remorse, as well as a tendency to lie and blame others.

Godin suggested to the jury that Chamberland had confirmation bias and cherry-picked information to match his preconceived ideas about Girouard.

The day after the attacks, Godin argued, Chamberland had given a radio interview in which he said he had no doubt the suspect had suffered from a mental disorder.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Richard Grenier took exception to the Crown’s description of Chamberland’s work, describing the remarks as “vexatious.”

The trial continues Tuesday.