MONTREAL — A German psychiatrist said he doesn’t believe Luka Rocco Magnotta was trying to mount a defence when the accused murderer engaged in wild ramblings during their dealings in 2012.
Dr. Thomas Barth treated Magnotta for roughly one week after his arrest in Berlin on an international warrant after the slaying of Jun Lin in Montreal.
WATCH: German psychiatrist on Magnotta’s state after arrest
Crown prosecutor Louis Bouthillier is questioning whether Magnotta’s ramblings were done on purpose to ensure there would be a record of his symptoms on file for an eventual defence.
Magnotta has admitted to killing the Chinese engineering student, but has pleaded not guilty by way of mental disorder.
READ MORE: Magnotta trial: What is Not Criminally Responsible?
Bouthillier confronted Barth Wednesday with details of Magnotta’s actions and previous medical records that seemed to contradict what the accused told the psychiatrist.
On Tuesday, Barth told the first-degree murder trial that Magnotta rambled during their first session, offering bursts of information before quickly changing the subject.
Barth said he’s not surprised by the different responses Magnotta may have given others because it is common for patients suffering from schizophrenia to hide their condition.
READ MORE: German psychiatrist who treated Magnotta in 2012 testifies for defence
Barth said he still doesn’t believe the accused was trying to fool him during their exchanges at a Berlin prison hospital.
The 32-year-old Magnotta is charged in the slaying and dismemberment of Lin in May 2012 before he fled to Paris and then Berlin.
Magnotta faces four charges in addition to the premeditated murder of Lin: criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of Parliament; mailing obscene and indecent material; committing an indignity to a body; and publishing obscene materials.
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