(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Sheldon Spackman and Troy Gillard

“I have a reason why I killed my family doctor"

Psych assessment ordered after chaotic court appearance for man accused of killing Red Deer doctor

Sep 9, 2020 | 12:31 PM

The second court appearance for the man charged in the murder of a Red Deer family doctor last month, much like the first, was nothing short of chaotic.

Deng Mabiour made his second appearance in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday. The 54-year-old is charged with first-degree murder in death of Dr. Walter Reynolds, along with counts of assault with a weapon and assault of a police officer.

Reynolds, a 45-year-old husband and father of two, was attacked Aug. 10 while working at the Village Mall Walk-In Clinic.

One witness told rdnewsNOW that she was in the waiting room when she heard cries for help and that a man in the clinic had a hammer and a machete.

RCMP have said the crime was not random and the two men knew each other through the clinic, although they have not said if Mabiour was a patient of Reynolds.

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Mabiour appeared confused during his first court appearance one month ago and told a judge that he doesn’t remember what happened and that he is sick.

He appeared in court Wednesday via CCTV from the Red Deer Remand Centre. Dressed in blue coveralls, he sat down in his CCTV room before he began speaking on his own behalf. He has yet to obtain a lawyer.

Mabiour, who is Sudanese, told Judge Bert Skinner he was capable of reading English. But when asked whether he’s read the charges against him he replied, “I don’t know.”

When the charges were read aloud in court again, Mabiour refused to acknowledge them before going on a rambling tirade.

“No one has asked me why I killed my family doctor,” he exclaimed. “You don’t want me to say why I killed my family doctor. I have a reason why I killed my family doctor.”

Mabiour told court he had no interest in obtaining a lawyer, saying, “Nobody should speak on my behalf. I should be given a chance to talk.

“Why I take the law into my own hand. This is corruption, this investigation.”

Mabiour constantly interrupted Skinner during Wednesday morning’s proceedings and said corruption would prevent him from being treated fairly.

Duty counsel Mark Daoust told court that Mabiour cancelled an application submitted on his behalf for legal aid.

“You don’t want to know the reason. Legal aid is not good for me,” Mabiour said.

“I don’t want to have a lawyer. I want to be given a chance to talk about why I killed my family doctor. Period.”

“I’m not interested in the reason why you did what you did. At this stage and in this court, I cannot take a plea,” Skinner explained before asking duty counsel to speak to Mabiour.

“(A) Canada lawyer is not good for me,” Mabiour told him.

“This is not the court to describe that, sir,” explained Skinner.

“It’s a very long, long story,” said Mabiour.

Following an adjournment, Daoust told court he’d explained the charges to Mabiour but received no response. Skinner then ordered that Mabiour undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.

“I’m not satisfied at this point in time, sir, that you understand the charges or the procedures,” Skinner said.

The case is due back in court Sept. 14.