WARNING: This article contains disturbing details
The Crown and defence made their final arguments Thursday in the case of Jayme Pasieka, who is accused of killing two co-workers at an Edmonton grocery warehouse.
Their arguments centre on Pasieka’s mental health at the time of the killings.
Pasieka has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, including first-degree murder and attempted murder in the February 2014 stabbings.
Testifying in his own defence Wednesday, Pasieka said that before the killings he suffered a nervous breakdown and had given up on life.
READ MORE: Jayme Pasieka says he suffered nervous breakdown during time of deadly Loblaw attack
Earlier in the trial, a forensic psychiatrist testified that the accused man likely suffers from schizophrenia.
READ MORE: Psychiatrist testifies Jayme Pasieka likely has schizophrenia
On Thursday, defence lawyer Peter Royal described the symptoms of Pasieka’s mental illness and how he has acted while in Alberta Hospital. Royal said Pasieka heard voices he believed to be “the beast” and “the false prophet” and talked to unseen entities.
“Mr. Pasieka’s mental state at the time permeates the entire case,” Royal said.
He summarized psychiatric reports, stressing their importance.
“This was a deeply disturbed young man.”
The defence said the law allows the jury to consider not only the accused’s actions but also his state of mind.
“This was a man going through a nervous breakdown.”
Royal asked jurors to consider Pasieka’s state of mind as well as his real or imaginary insights.
Royal said his client is guilty, but not of first-degree murder. The defence lawyer suggested manslaughter is more appropriate.
READ MORE: Chilling surveillance video shown at Jayme Pasieka murder trial
In its closing arguments, the Crown didn’t dispute Pasieka’s schizophrenia, but said that diagnosis alone does not mean he couldn’t form the intent to kill, adding it doesn’t equate to incapacity.
Crown prosecutor Kim Goddard told the jury the key question is: “How well was his mind working in February 2014?”
She said the jury should look at whether his specific mental illness can get in the way of forming intent; she suggest it does not. She suggested his intent was to get help by killing his co-workers and then the police would offer him that help.
“There is more than sufficient evidence before you… to find that he intended to kill his victims.”
Pointing to witness testimony, Goddard said: “His brain is very capable of logical, goal-oriented behaviour.”
She explained how Pasieka was rational when buying the knives used in the stabbings, saying he bought extra ones in case the knives became dull.
Goddard also said that Pasieka was strategic in where he stabbed the victims and said he stabbed one victim 17 times.
“What other possible intent can be have? Why stab people in the head and chest if you don’t think it will kill them?”
READ MORE: Loblaw attack victims testify at Jayme Pasieka trial: ‘He was trying to kill me’
The Crown also brought up the 911 call in which Pasieka can be heard yelling “die” as he stabs his co-worker. That would indicate clear intent, the Crown argued.
“It might have been a suffering mind, but it was a rational one.”
“He’s not random. He’s not wild,” the Crown argued, adding Pasieka could be seen on video following traffic laws after his rampage at the warehouse.
The family of victim Fitzroy Harris, 50, were in the courtroom during the closing arguments and they wept openly as the Crown described how he was killed.
Pasieka showed little emotion during the closing arguments, sitting with his gaze on the floor and expressionless as the Crown and defence addressed the jury.
Thierno Bah, 41, was also killed in the attack.
With a file from The Canadian Press
Watch below: The Crown and defence gave their closing arguments in the first-degree murder trial of Jayme Pasieka. Julia Wong is at the law courts with more.
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