Maybe it was a tragic combination of magic mushrooms and post-concussion syndrome that contributed to Thomas Chan’s violent behaviour on Dec. 28, 2015. Or maybe it wasn’t.
A psychiatrist testifying in Superior Court on Thursday couldn’t really answer the question.
Thomas Chan has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father, Dr. Andrew Chan, and the aggravated assault and attempted murder of Dr. Chan’s partner, Lynn Witteveen.
The pair were found in Chan’s Haggis Drive home in Peterborough three days after Christmas. Chan was stabbed to death.
During the judge-alone trial, court heard that Thomas Chan took magic mushrooms with his friends earlier the night of his father’s death. As the evening wore on, Thomas became volatile. Witnesses testified he called people devils and referred to himself as God.
Court has heard that Chan suffered from several concussions when he was in high school and grappled with depression and substance abuse. Lawyers for Thomas argue he slipped into a psychotic state that night after eating magic mushrooms, a condition intensified because of his previous brain injuries.
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On Thursday, the Crown called a rebuttal witness, psychiatrist Philip Klassen, who told court it was likely Chan was in a psychotic state due to the drugs he took.
But Klassen said it was impossible to tell if that psychotic state was influenced or brought about as a result of previous brain injuries.
The trial resumes in one week, when lawyers for both sides will make their closing arguments.
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