A newly released court document shows that accused killer Luka Magnotta was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia back when he was a teenager.
As the Globe and Mail reports, a copy of the letter was made public on Wednesday after several media outlets made an application to the court.
The letter was presented as evidence in a June, 2005 court case where Magnotta, then known as Eric Clinton Newman, was charged with fraud. It noted that he had been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia for the previous five years.
Thuraisamy Sooriabalan wrote in the letter that Magnotta had been under his care for five years for a “major psychiatric disorder.”
“He has been suffering from this condition [paranoid schizophrenia] for more than five years, and he has had admissions to impatient units at various hospitals.”
He also noted Magnotta was on multiple antipsychotic medications including Seroquel, Risperdal, Nitrazepan and Ativan. He wrote that Magnotta didn’t always take his medications.
“As far as the prognosis is concerned, as long as Mr. Newman continues to take the medications regularly, and attends the outpatient department as advised, the prognosis is fair,” Dr. Sooriabalan wrote, “but if he does not comply in taking the medication, he would be prone to relapse of his symptoms, which include paranoia, auditory hallucinations, fear of the unknown, etc.”
The letter was never filed as evidence, Global News reports, and Magnotta’s current lawyer, Luc Leclair fought to keep it private, saying it would prevent his client’s right to a fair trial.
The 30-year-old Magnotta is currently on trial charges with first-degree murder for the brutal death and dismemberment of 33-year-old Chinese engineering student Lin Jun in May 2012. His preliminary hearing is set to resume April 8 in Montreal.