Richard Mantha sent for testing to determine his mental fitness

Article content

Serial rape suspect Richard Mantha will undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine if he remains fit to stand trial after he suffered a major stroke in early May.

Defence lawyer Marc Crarer on Friday asked Justice Judith Shrier to order the testing on Mantha, who is currently hospitalized under the care of a neurologist.

“Mr. Mantha remains in the hospital,” Crarer told the Calgary Court of Justice judge, without specifying what medical facility is housing his client.

Article content

Crarer said he has not been able to have discussions with the attending neurologist to determine his client’s prognosis.

“I have not been in a position to obtain from the neurologist the information we were hoping to obtain,” the lawyer told court.

In making an order under the Criminal Code to have Mantha assessed, Shrier noted psychiatrists at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre (SAFPC) will be able to access the accused’s medical records.

“So we don’t need anything particular before ordering an assessment,” Shrier said.

She said if Mantha can be transferred to SAFPC the assessment can be done there, but if not psychiatrists can conduct their testing at the hospital where Mantha is under care.

Shrier agreed testing was warranted given concerns Crarer expressed about communicating with his client.

An accused person is deemed unfit if they do not understand the legal process and can’t communicate with counsel.

Mantha, 60, suffered a stroke last month while in custody at the Calgary Remand Centre awaiting the continuation of his trial in November.

Article content

His trial was derailed at the end of January when he fired the two lawyers who had been appointed to represent him in what was then a French-only trial.

At that time court had already heard from four of Mantha’s alleged victims, who testified in English with Mantha’s agreement that their evidence not be simultaneously translated while he sat with a French interpreter beside him.

Other portions of the hearing were conducted entirely in French.

But when Crarer, who is bilingual, came on as new counsel he told court he wasn’t fluent enough to conduct a trial in French.

Mantha agreed to continue the trial in English, with Shrier specifically asking him in French if he was willing to continue “seulement en anglais (only in English).”

“Oui,” the Quebec native told the judge.

Mantha faces 20 charges involving allegations he sexually abused seven women, allegedly drugging six of them. He also faces a charge of kidnapping one of the women.

The case is back in court next month.

KMartin@postmedia.com

X: @KMartinCourts

Article content