The defence opens its case on Monday in the trial of a Red Deer man charged with murdering his father.
Former Red Deer city councillor Timothy Bruce Guilbault, 58, died in the family’s cabin west of Bowden on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012. His body was discovered two days later by his daughter, Caroline Guilbault, who had gone to the cabin in search of him after being unable to reach him during the weekend.
Aaron Guilbault, now 33, was arrested on Nov. 5, 2012, in Stettler. RCMP apprehended him at the edge of the town as he was making his way to his mother’s home there.
In custody since his arrest, Guilbault is now on trial for second-degree murder before Justice Monica Bast in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.
Proceedings were delayed somewhat in order to assess if Guilbault was mentally fit to stand trial.
Defence counsel Patty MacNaughton said during a break in proceedings that the question is not whether Guilbault killed his father, but whether his mental state was such that he cannot be held criminally responsible.
In a statement of facts introduced at the outset of the trial, Crown prosecutor Maurice Collard described how Tim Guilbault was struck at least twice with an aluminium baseball bat after going to the cabin to meet his son.
Collard introduced social media and cellphone messages in which Aaron Guilbault makes a variety of comments about his father being a cheat and a liar, and how his father interfered with his attempts to connect with a former college classmate whom he felt was a soulmate sent by God.
In a statement to police, Guilbault said he found the young woman in tears one day after being stood up by her boyfriend. He said they spoke for a moment, and that a spirit told him that she was the one as he was walking away.
Evidence brought to trial on Tuesday included about four hours of recorded interviews with a Red Deer City RCMP investigator who attempted to have Guilbault explain why he killed his father.
Guilbault sat in silence through much of the interview, opening up when the discussion turned to definitions of supports for children, and his theories on God and the Bible.
He dropped a bomb after returning from a smoke break.
“I’m adopted,” he told Sgt. Ben Scott while being questioned about his family life.
He then said he was about nine or 10 when he found a book about growing up in an adopted family.
Minutes later, he talked about the various supports a child needs, beyond food and shelter, intertwined with a discussion of his personal beliefs.
“What do you think the difference between judgment and justice is?” Guilbault asked Scott at one point.
He talked about the need for physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual support and the impact of neglecting those needs.
He said during the interview that he found those supports in the Bible, which he views as the book of love, and that being adopted enabled him to distinguish between the father in the Bible and the man he termed his male guardian.
MacNaughton is expected to call evidence on Monday, including expert witnesses who will testify about her client’s emotional state.
Tim Guilbault, formerly employed with Nova Chemicals, was elected to Red Deer City council in 1986 and served three terms. He resigned in 1995 to take a new job in Calgary.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com