Bain trial suspended until Friday after judge says accused ‘not alert’ in court

MONTREAL — Accused Quebec election night shooter Richard Henry Bain appeared to be nodding off during testimony on Thursday, prompting the judge to suspend his first-degree murder trial until Friday.

Justice Guy Cournoyer told the 14 jurors that Bain was “obviously not as alert as he has been” during the previous 28 days of the trial.

Bain lowered his head and closed his eyes several times on Thursday during testimony from forensic psychiatrist Joel Watts, the Crown’s expert.

“I hope you get a good night sleep Mr. Bain,” Cournoyer told Bain before adjourning the trial.

Bain, 65, has pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder and two arson-related charges in connection with the shooting outside the Metropolis nightclub in Montreal on Sept. 4, 2012.

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Lighting technician Denis Blanchette died after he was shot through the heart by a bullet that exited his body and injured another stagehand.

The defence claims Bain was psychotic the night he allegedly killed Blanchette outside the venue where the Parti Quebecois was celebrating its election victory and should be found not criminally responsible.

Earlier Thursday, jurors heard Watts explain how he thought Bain’s religious or political ideas weren’t bizarre or psychotic.

Watts said the accused’s comments about religion and politics to police, doctors, and others after his arrest are no more extreme than anyone else’s who is invested in these issues and who has no mental illness.

“His (political) ideas are rooted in political fact and history,” Watts testified. “There are lots of people who have misguided political views and who are not psychotic.”

The jury has heard that Bain often talked about how Quebec separatists were ruining the province and that Montreal should separate from Quebec and remain in Canada.

Bain’s lawyers say he turned to religion after a manic episode around 2009 and suggested it was a sign the accused was losing his grasp of reality.

The accused told psychiatrists  after his arrest that “God has a plan for everything,” and that “everything is the will of God.”

Bain also claimed he was sent on a mission from God to kill separatists.

Watts said Bain’s religious views are mainstream for the born-again Christian faith and his partisan political views might be extreme, but are certainly not symptoms of mental illness.

The psychiatrist’s report — submitted into evidence on Wednesday — concluded that Bain was not psychotic when he allegedly shot and killed Blanchette.

Watts wrote that Bain allegedly started shooting outside the venue likely because he was unhappy with the results of the provincial election.

– Follow @gvaliante on Twitter.

Giuseppe Valiante, The Canadian Press