The trial of a man accused of murdering his girlfriend after they met while they were both patients at the Alberta Hospital continues in Red Deer.
Mark Lindsay, 29, was charged in 2011 after the body of his then girlfriend, Dana Turner, 31, was found in a ditch near Innisfail. Lindsay, who is the adopted son of a former Edmonton police chief, is also charged with offering indignity to a body and obstruction of justice.
Lindsay has admitted to murdering Turner by stabbing her in the eyes with a pencil, strangling her and running over her with a vehicle, but the trial is being held to determine whether or not he is criminally responsible for Turner’s death.
Dr. Marc Nesca, a psychologist, took the stand for a second day on Monday for cross-examination by Crown Prosecutor Bina Border. At the centre of discussion was Lindsay’s history of drug abuse. Border’s cross-examination was focused on whether or not Lindsay’s drug abuse played a role at the time of Turner’s murder contrary to Nesca’s testimony that Lindsay suffered from paranoid schizophrenia psychosis.
Nesca first met Lindsay in September 2014 where he conducted two interviews. Nesca said Lindsay admitted to using intoxicants that month. “Substance use was consistently noted throughout Mark Lindsay’s medical history,” said Nesca.
Court heard that Lindsay dropped out of school after Grade 9 and did not have consistent employment with the exception of odd labour jobs. One report stated Lindsay began smoking marijuana when he was 11-years-old. He smoked the drug every day for nine years. Another report indicated Lindsay first tried crystal meth when he was 14 and also had a history of using cocaine and abusing alcohol.
Nesca said he believes these reports simply indicate Lindsay has a substance abuse problem.
Court also heard that while in custody at the Red Deer Remand Centre, Lindsay launched himself head first into the window, fell backwards and laid motionless.
“He was very ill,” said Nesca.
The trial is expected to continue through to March 4th in Red Deer’s Court of Queen’s Bench.
efawcett@reddeerexpress.com
