Psychiatrists have yet to have seen murder suspect Ryan Kinoshita to determine if he may qualify for a not criminally responsible defence due to mental illness, court heard Friday.
Defence counsel Allan Fay asked that Kinoshita’s case be adjourned until Aug. 29, to allow doctors at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre (SAFPC) to conduct an assessment.
Fay told Justice Bruce Fraser that his client has yet to have been transferred to the medical facility, despite originally being ordered by a judge on June 3 to undergo an assessment.
In early July that order was extended another 30 days, but Fay said his client still hasn’t been seen by the doctors.
He said psychiatrist Dr. Ken Hashman, in a letter to the court, asked for a further extension as Kinoshita is still on the waiting list to attend the facility.
Fay had initially sought a Criminal Code Section 16 assessment to determine his client’s mental state at the time of the alleged murder of his landlord after assessing the file and communicating with the accused.
“As a result of reviewing disclosure and speaking with my client I have a significant concern regarding Mr. Kinoshita’s mental state at the time of the homicide and before that,” the lawyer said during his client’s June 3 appearance.
“I’m asking that he be sent to SAFPC for him to be assessed to see if he meets a Section 16 criteria.”
Kinoshita, 29, is charged with second-degree murder in the April 8 stabbing of Joel Aaron Clark.
Police said Clark, 46, was fatally stabbed inside the home he owned on Prestwick Terrace S.E.
If determined to have been suffering a mental disorder which rendered him incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of his conduct at the time, Kinoshita would be dealt with by means other than through the criminal justice system.
He would likely be ordered to appear before the Alberta Review Board which would determine his next steps.