Psychiatric evaluation of confessed killer to be reviewed

Mark Lindsay: Admitted killer claims to have acted out of fear of serial-killer group out to get him.

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An Edmonton man who in August admitted in a Kamloops courtroom to murdering his girlfriend and attacking an undercover police officer before stabbing his prison cellmate twice in the eye won't know until at least next month if he will be held criminally responsible for his B.C. crimes.

Mark Lindsay stood trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops on charges that he stabbed an undercover RCMP officer in Barriere during an elaborate Mr. Big sting, and that he attacked his Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre cellmate during a game of Scrabble a month later.

The 25-year-old, the son of Edmonton's former police chief, admitted to both offences, but claimed both victims were part of a group of serial killers trying to kill him.

During his testimony, Lindsay also admitted to murdering 31-year-old Dana Turner — his former girlfriend, who went missing in August 2011, days after Lindsay was released from an Edmonton jail, where he served a short sentence for stabbing Turner in the head.

Lindsay claimed in court Turner was also part of the group trying to kill him.

The RCMP Mr. Big sting, during which the officer was attacked in Barriere last September, was launched in response to Turner's disappearance, court heard last month.

In court, Lindsay maintained his sanity under cross-examination from Crown prosecutor Will Burrows.

However, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Dev Dley ordered a 30-day in-custody psychiatric evaluation.

If the doctor's report comes back saying Lindsay does suffer from a mental disorder, Dley could find him not criminally responsible for the stabbings of the undercover Mountie and the KRCC cellmate.

On Sept. 25, Lindsay returned to B.C. Supreme Court but lawyers said his psychiatric assessment was not yet complete.

On Friday, Oct.19, Lindsay was again led into a Kamloops courtroom — in shackles and handcuffs, escorted by three sheriffs — and told he will have to wait a bit longer.

Burrows told court he received the psychiatric report just before the hearing.

"I think both sides are going to need some time to review the report and decide how to proceed," he said.

Dley agreed, ordering the matter be put over to Nov. 5 to fix a date for hearing.

Lindsay is also facing a second-degree murder charge in Alberta in relation to Turner's death. He's expected to appear in a Red Deer courtroom for a preliminary hearing in January.