Doctor accepted limousine ride, dinner from 'manic' Richard Bain

Richard Bain's physician saidhe felt comfortable gambling with and being treated to dinner by his patient, whom hesuspected was "manic" and obsessedwith the end of the world.

Dr. Stan van Duyse, a Westmount-based physician,told the jury at the Montreal courthouse he's been Bain's family doctor since the late 90s.

• CBC'scomplete coverage: RichardBainmurder trial
• Cops accused Richard Bain of faking health issues during interrogation

Bainis on trial for the first-degree murder of DenisBlanchette, a lighting technician who was shot and killed outside thePartiQubcoisvictory party on electionnight,Sept. 4, 2012.

The defenceis arguingBainis not criminally-responsible because of a mental disorder.The prosecution contendsthat the shooting was premeditatedand politically motivated.

Van Duysewas called bythe defenceto testify about Bain'sdepression and anxiety, as well as his symptoms of manic behaviour.

But under the rapid-fire cross-examination of prosecutor DennisGaliatsatos, vanDuyseadmitted that his concerns about his patient didn't stop them from going out to dinner together.

"So he was your patient that you suspected might be manic, and you were comfortable with him treating you to dinner atMilos?"Galiatsatosasked, referencing thehigh-end Greek restaurant in Montreal.

"I guess I did feel comfortable," vanDuyseanswered.

The prosecutor reminded the doctorof a conversation he once had with the Crown's psychiatrist, during which he described Bain's depression as "situational, related to his work and girlfriend ...[and] rather benign."

Van Duyse admitted that was true.

'Doctor-patient barrier'

The doctor also testified that he felt comfortable accepting a $600limousine ride to the countryside paid for byBain because he understood he would be treating celebritiesCatherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas.

Infact, the patientturned out to be the wife of the owner of a ranch Bain had a financial interest in.

WhenGaliatsatosasked if the doctorconsidered Bainhis friend, the doctor replied,"That's a loaded question."

Hetold the court that he thought there "was always a doctor-patient barrier" that he respected. However, he acknowledged that, over time, there was a "penchant towards an amicable relationship."

Feels 'badly' he didn't send him to a psychiatrist

The court also heard on Tuesday that Bain's physician never referred him to a psychiatrist, despite notinghis manic state.

"I thought I had a handle on it," vanDuysetold the court.

VanDuysesaid, in hindsight, he feels "badly" he didn't do more.

He said he tried to reason with Bainat times, who thought "this was the end of the world," buttold the court that his patient"didn't want to hear from me."

"I thought that I had agood enough relationshipwith the patient to handle that. Had it gotten worse, I would've sent him to a psychiatrist," he said.

• Accused Richard Bain says he has no memory of election-night shooting

Aftermath of deadly Parti Qubcois shooting captured on camera

8 years ago

Duration 0:56

Footage shows a man being led away by police after the Sept. 4, 2012 shooting outside Montreal's Metropolis nightclub.

Baindoubled meds without permission

Van Duyse told the juryhe had been treatingBainfor depressionsince 1995 and thetype ofantidepressanthe prescribed changed over the years.

The doctorsaidhis patient started taking Cymbalta as far back as April 2009.

Earlier in the trial, Bainblamed an overdose of Cymbaltafor his actions the night of the shooting. Family members have also testified that Bain seemed to becomea different person while taking thedrug.

Van Duyse told the jury that duringa November 2009 consultation, he found out that Bain had broken up with his girlfriend of 20 years and had been doubling his dosage of Cymbaltawithout his permission.

Van Duyse testified that he switched Bainto another antidepressant.

Earlier in the trial, Bain testified that he continued taking Cymbalta after his doctorordered himto switch to Effexor.