A man accused of killing a Red Deer doctor in his walk-in clinic last August is being held at Calgary’s Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre.
Deng Mabiour, 54, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Dr. Walter Reynolds, who was killed at the Village Mall Walk-In Clinic on Aug. 10. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is set for Nov. 22 to Dec. 17 in Red Deer.
Mabiour previously underwent a psychiatric assessment at the centre and was found fit to stand trial.
Mabiour appeared in person in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Thursday morning to provide Justice Paul Belzil with an update on the case, in which Mabiour intends to represent himself. Mabiour, clad in a blue prison jumpsuit and wearing a white mask, was accompanied by two sheriffs as he sat in the prisoner’s box.
Belzil put a publication ban in place preventing any reporting of Thursday’s discussions, which included Crown prosecutor Bina Border and Red Deer lawyer Jason Snider, who is assisting the courts in Mabiour’s case but does not represent him.
Mabiour is next due in court on Oct. 4-15 to hear pre-trial applications.
Outside the courtroom, Snider said the applications concern the voluntariness of Mabiour’s statements to police and the qualifications of expert witnesses expected to be called to testify at the trial.
Border has said previously she intends to make an application to ensure that a lawyer is called in to interview non-RCMP witnesses in Mabiour’s trial.
Reynolds, a 45-year-old father of two, was attacked with a weapon while working at the clinic. He died in hospital.
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.
The Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre undertakes court-ordered psychiatric assessments to determine whether someone should be considered not criminally responsible for their alleged crimes. It also does assessments for dangerous offender and long-term offender applications.
Treatment and rehabilitation can be provided to those found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
Alberta Health Services says the centre also provides “temporary treatment and stabilization for individuals who have decompensated while in custody.”
Pretrial motions are to be heard Oct. 4.