Accused Fredericton shooter undergoes mandatory treatment, gets tentative trial dates

Matthew Vincent Raymond has once again been put on medication against his will.

In a court hearing Monday, Crown prosecutor Jill Knee said a tribunal under the provincial Mental Health Act was called after a request from the Restigouche Hospital Centre. The tribunaldecidedRaymond will be given medication to stabilize his mental state even if he refuses.

Raymond is facing four first-degree murder charges in the shooting deaths ofConst. Sara Burns, Const. Robb Costello, and Donnie Robichaud and Bobbie Lee Wright. They were killed on the morning of Aug. 10, 2018, at an apartment building on Brookside Drive on Fredericton's north side.

Knee said she spoke to Dr. Ralph Holly, who told her Raymond's mental health had deteriorated to the point where they felt the need to apply to the tribunal.

"Mr. Raymond is doing well on his medication," she said.

The court set a tentative criminal trial date Monday for late September.

Fitness issue

A jury found Raymond unfit to stand trial last fall. Raymond was given medication against his will for 60 days, and his lawyer Nathan Gorham was satisfied with his fitness enough to call for a second fitness hearing.

But before dates could be set in stone, Raymond's mental fitness started to falter, according to Gorham.

Then COVID-19 cancelled all jury trials, including Raymond's second fitness hearing. Raymond must be found fit first before he can go through the criminal trial.

In court in person and later over the phone, Raymond continued to insist that he needs no medication.

Gorham said that when Raymond was previously forced to take medication, his state dramatically improved.

"If the past predicts future on that, then an involuntary treatment will get his mental disorder at least in check enough so that he can participate in the trial fairly," Gorham said.

Raymond has been in custody at the Restigouche Hospital Centre with no set fitness trial date. The court has now set a tentative fitness hearing for mid-August.

If Raymond is found fit again, the courtalso has a tentative trial date for September. These dates would only be confirmed if there's no second wave of COVID-19.

The tribunal was called on April 15, Knee said in court, and medication was prescribed. A second tribunal will be held on May 15 to review Raymond's state and decide if a "keep fit" order is required until Raymond undergoes a fitness hearing and the main criminal trial.

Fitness deals with an accused's current state of mind, and it's distinct from criminal responsibility.

According to the government of New Brunswick website, the tribunal is composed of a lawyer and two members of the public "in order to authorize the involuntary admission according to the Mental Health Act and also to authorize the treatment of involuntary patients."

On Monday, Justice Fred Ferguson expressed his frustration over how little control he has in keeping Raymond fit until the trial.

"It's frustrating for me as a superior court judge to be completely impotent to deal with the medication issue that Mr. Raymond faces in the hospital or anywhere else," Ferguson said.