GUYSBOROUGH: The presiding judge overseeing the fatality inquiry into the triple murder-suicide carried out by an Afghanistan war veteran made it clear retired Cpl. Lionel Desmond “faced a large gap in treatment” and that Veterans Affairs allowed him to “fall through the cracks.”
As Provincial Court Judge Warren Zimmer read the details of Cpl. Desmond’s extensive military medical records and his year-long struggle to find successful treatment into evidence on Thursday, the Veterans Affairs-appointed psychotherapist began to sob on the witness stand.
Judge Zimmer also said Veterans Affairs did not share key information on Cpl. Desmond’s mental illness; describing him as a former soldier struggling with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, and cognitive issues from head trauma.
“From August to December [2016], I haven’t seen anything to suggest there had been a real therapy session anywhere, anytime,” Judge Zimmer said. “That’s a big gap.”
Catherine Chambers, who was contracted by Veterans Affairs to consider becoming Cpl. Desmond’s therapist, heard for the first-time the severity of his mental-health issues – including his early release from an in-patient program specialized for veterans suffering with PTSD in August 2016, where clinicians noted he’d shown only “minor progress” after three-months.
Following Cpl. Desmond’s release from Ste. Anne’s Hospital in Montréal, no follow-up recommendations were carried out, including ongoing therapy, and undergoing brain scans and neuro-cognitive testing to indicate the level at which he could function.
“I want you to have an appreciation for what was known at the time that he was discharged and was coming to you,” Judge Zimmer explained to the psychotherapist. “It’s important to appreciate that all of this information was sitting there, and you had none of it.”
Cpl. Desmond’s medical records indicate the scope of his mental illness; paranoia about the intent of doctors and nurses, sensory overload from noise, signs of poor cognitive function, worsening isolation, PTSD, major depression, and anxiety.
Judge Zimmer then referred to testimony from Antigonish psychiatrist Dr. Ian Slayter, who noted in a December 2, 2016 report the he believed Cpl. Desmond was “falling through the cracks in terms of follow-up by military and veterans programs.”
Chambers testified if she had been provided records of Cpl. Desmond’s previous treatment and recommendations for his continuity of care, she wouldn’t have agreed to assess him and instead referred him to in-patient care for PTSD.
“In light of the information which you just shared from this report, I don’t believe Mr. Desmond would have been a candidate for community-based psychotherapy but would have required further in-patient care,” she said.
The lack of medical information sharing has been a recurring theme over the course of the fatality inquiry that’s highlighted how Nova Scotia health care providers treated Cpl. Desmond, oftentimes in silos without a continuous record of his history in Veterans Affairs-funded operational stress injury (OSI) clinics, and without knowledge of how to obtain military medical records.
According to Veterans Affairs case manager Marie Doucet’s notes recorded during the same time frame of Cpl. Desmond’s August 2016 discharge from the in-patient clinic in Montréal, he had cognitive limitations which required a neuro-psychological assessment.
Doucet also had concerns surrounding the lack of sound plan for Cpl. Desmond’s upcoming discharge and that he was returning to Nova Scotia and required support.
None of this information was provided to Chambers, who told the inquiry it “was crucial to have” and that “without cognitive wellness, community-based psychotherapy treatment is ineffective.”
“We know that he left that clinic in August, and I don’t think we can point to any kind of therapeutic intervention up to and including January 2, 2017,” Judge Zimmer said.
Chambers told the inquiry she conducted two 50-minute assessment sessions with the 33-year-old war veteran on Decemnber 2 and 15, 2016. She described the individual she first met as “meek and childlike” who slumped in his chair, giving her the impression of hopelessness.
While she told the inquiry Cpl. Desmond admitted there was ongoing conflicts with his wife, Chambers truly believed he “deeply loved his wife and wanted a happy life with her.”
Cell phone records obtained by the RCMP suggest Cpl. Desmond had already been planning something violent – as he made 90 firearm-related searches in the final 48-hours of his life, originating on January 1, 2017.
Hours before the triple murder-suicide on January 3, Cpl. Desmond called Chambers and told her his wife asked for a divorce.
In their 26-minute phone call, he confirmed an appointment for two-days later – but was in a state of crisis – mainly due to the fact his wife asked him for a divorce, he was involved in a minor vehicle accident on New Year’s Eve that lead to an argument, and his wife asked him to leave the family home.
Chambers told the inquiry Cpl. Desmond was stressed about where he was going to live and how he was going to pay for it, but indicated he didn’t have any suicidal ideations and agreed to a “safety plan” where he would stay away from his home and would go to the emergency room if his PTSD symptoms flared or if he had suicidal or homicidal ideations.
Three hours later, the former rifleman legally purchased the Soviet-era semi-automatic military-style carbine, SKS 762, changed into full camouflage fatigue, parked his vehicle on a remote logging road, slashed the tires to his wife’s truck and fatally shot his 31-year-old wife Shanna, 52-year-old mother Brenda, and 10-year-old daughter Aaliyah before turning the gun on himself in the family’s Upper Big Tracadie home.
As the health professionals who interacted with Cpl. Desmond were called to testify at the fatality inquiry, Judge Zimmer will be looking at whether they were adequately trained to recognize the symptoms of occupational stress injuries or domestic violence.
The inquiry will also look at whether the Desmond family had access to the appropriate mental health and domestic violence intervention services, as well as if Cpl. Desmond should have been able to retain, or obtain a license enabling him to obtain or purchase a firearm.
At the conclusion of the proceedings, Judge Zimmer will file a written report with the Provincial Court containing his findings and recommendations, but his report will not contain any findings of legal responsibility.