A child psychiatrist believes Hannah Leflar’s killer has ‘psychopathic tendencies,’ and in dealing with the youth found him to be “arrogant” and “narcissistic”.
On Wednesday, the Crown called expert witness, Dr. Brent Harold to the stand. Dr. Harold has been a practicing psychiatrist since 1998. He met with the youth several times after Leflar’s death.
He testified that the teen displayed a sense of “always about me” type of thinking.
Dr. Harold’s first meeting with the youth took place back in August 2015, eight months after the death of honour roll student Hannah Leflar.
He explained the youth told him he was suffering from depression and psychotic episodes, like “hearing voices, voices that told him to do it”. The youth believed himself to have schizophrenia.
However, as the meetings continued, Dr. Harold said the youth was unable to describe or show any other symptoms associated with schizophrenia.
The doctor does not believe the youth has schizophrenia.
Dr. Harold was also concerned about the “lack of empathy” shown, adding the youth was manipulative — leaving him to believe he had psychopathic tendencies.
“[He] didn’t demonstrate any remorse for it… my interactions with the youth didn’t see it,” he said.
In the 5,600 patients he’s treated over 19 years, only about four or five people exhibited those psychopathic tendencies, and he believed Leflar’s killer to be one of them.
When the crown asked why, Dr. Harold explained the youth “didn’t show any remorse,” was “unable to demonstrate empathy,” tended to view things as “always being about him,” and had “no problems breaking the rules.”
Unsealed court documents had revealed the youth, now 19 years old, stalked and obsessed over Leflar for months, before ultimately killing her.
Leflar died from a stab wound to the back of the head, along with at least 9 other incisions on the torso, forearm, mouth, hands and body.
The youth also told Dr. Harold he was being bullied in prison, and was suicidal. The psychiatrist said he didn’t believe him to be clinically depressed, adding there was a difference between self-harming and being suicidal.
During cross-examination, the defence asked Dr. Harold if he had a good rapport with the youth.
He replied he did not, adding it was difficult to have a good rapport with someone with that type of behaviour.
The Crown prosecutor is seeking an adult sentence which carries an automatic life sentence in prison for 25 years with no chance of parole for ten years.
“We’re of the view that this crime merits an adult sentence, not a youth sentence. And that’s why we’re here,” Crown prosecutor Chris White said.
“I feel there’s a bit of optimism for no other reason than we’re coming towards the end for one of the two,” he added.
Dr. Harold was one of two psychiatrists who testified in court Wednesday.
The day began with testimony from a court ordered pediatric psychiatrist — Dr. Oladapo Soyemi.
Dr. Soyemi said he only met the youth once, and the meeting lasted about two hours.
He testified his role was to determine if there were any psychiatric illnesses.
On the stand, he recalled the youth being cooperative but expressed worry about an adult sentence.
READ MORE: ‘Agreed statement of facts’ reveal events before and after Hannah Leflar’s death
The psychiatrist said the teen was concerned about the lack of supports to “fix his problems,” and afraid he would “rot in jail,” if given an adult sentence.
Dr. Soyemi also expressed that it was well known that the youth had said he would commit suicide if he was given an adult sentence.
The Crown asked if that was manipulative, in which Dr. Soyemi replied it “appears to be,” but he also added that he was conscientious of the fact that he only spoke to the teen for two hours.
He said he considered that the youth could have illnesses like low grade depression and borderline personality disorder and he took those into consideration but there was no definitive conclusion.