The first-degree murder trial of Blake Schreiner will pause for a month before the defence calls a Saskatchewan Hospital psychologist as its final witness.
The last witness will be called on March 8. Closing arguments are scheduled to be heard on April 7 by Justice Ron Mills at Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench.
Dr. Anne Pleydon was initially slated to be called as a Crown witness. Last week, prosecutor Melodi Kujawa decided against it. On Thursday, defence lawyer Brad Mitchell applied to call Dr. Pleydon as a rebuttal witness because his earlier line of questioning happened at a time when he was anticipating testimony from the psychologist.
Kujawa didn’t object to the application to reopen the case.
Dr. Pleydon was a member of the team that assessed Schreiner’s mental health and ultimately determined he understood the consequences of his actions.
Schreiner admits to stabbing his partner, Tammy Brown, at her River Heights house in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019. The defence is arguing for him to be found not criminally responsible, stating he had schizotypal personality disorder at the time.
The Crown is expected to argue Schreiner stabbed Brown 80 times due to the breakdown of their relationship and his fear of losing their children.
A person should be found not criminally responsible if they commit a crime while suffering a mental disorder that leaves her or him “incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the act . . . or of knowing that it was wrong,” according to the Criminal Code of Canada.
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