Skip to content

Psychiatric test ordered for man in Calgary freeman case

The Montreal man evicted from a Calgary duplex after trying to declare it a sovereign embassy will be evaluated to determine whether he can be held responsible for alleged crimes in Quebec.

MONTREAL — The Montreal man evicted from a Calgary duplex after trying to declare it a sovereign embassy will be evaluated to determine whether he can be held responsible for alleged crimes in Quebec.

Mario Antonacci appeared Tuesday in Quebec court in Montreal.

Judge Jean-Paul Braun granted a request by Atonacci’s lawyer to have him evaluated for criminal responsibility in crimes dating back nearly six years.

Leandre Dube-Laberge told the court that new information suggests Antonacci may not have been mentally well at the time of one of the alleged crimes and it is necessary to have her client assessed.

She said Antonacci is showing more willingness to work with doctors at the institute where he’ll be evaluated and has agreed to share his previous health files with them.

“I order that he be detained and the assessment regarding responsibility be proceeded with at the Pinel Institute,” Braun ruled.

Although the Crown didn’t strongly object, prosecutor Jacques Belanger did question why this issue didn’t come up initially following Antonacci’s arrest.

The accused’s lawyer said it was Antonacci’s daughter, who lived with him around the time of the alleged crimes, who has indicated now that she was concerned about his state at the time.

“It was his words and his general attitude, she was worried about his mental health,” Dube-Laberge said.

Antonacci was declared earlier this month to be fit to stand trial and assist in his own defence.

There were no outbursts in court as the accused sat quietly and listened to the judge. He said he understood what his lawyer was requesting on his behalf.

His previous court appearances since his return from Alberta have been marked by bizarre statements and claims. Antonacci appeared to be keeping his focus on the judge on Tuesday.

Antonacci will remain detained for the time being.

He vanished in the middle of a Montreal trial for aggravated assault in 2010 and remained under the radar until this year after an incident in Alberta.

Rebekah Caverhill said she rented her beige brick, bungalow-style duplex to a man named Andreas Pirelli in November 2011. He promised to fix up the home but not long after, the accused identified himself as a follower of the Freemen-on-the-Land movement.

Members of that group have declared themselves independent of government jurisdiction. Pirelli did the same, claiming her property as an embassy, changing the locks and placing a lien on the home.

It was discovered that Pirelli was actually Antonacci and had skipped out on two court cases against him in Quebec, including the alleged assault of his landlady in Montreal in 2007.

He’s also facing charges in a separate file of break and enter and mischief.

His whereabouts became known to police in Montreal after a high-profile dispute with a Caverhill that came to light in September.

He was eventually arrested by Calgary police on the outstanding bench warrants from Quebec.

Antonacci’s case will return to court on Dec. 13.