And the crazy sumbitch is back in the news:
'I wish to fire my attorney'
A Minto man accused of slaughtering his elderly neighbours pleaded with a judge Thursday to let him fire his defence lawyer.
Gregory Allan Despres, 23, faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Frederick Franklin Fulton, 74, and Veronica (Verna) Decarie, 70.
The couple was found dead at home in Minto on April 26 by Fulton's daughter. Both had been stabbed repeatedly, and Fulton had been decapitated.
Despres was back in court Thursday so a psychiatric report - about whether or not Despres was suffering from a mental disorder that might exempt him from criminal responsibility - could be filed with the court.
As the proceedings convened, Despres stood and said he was having problems with defence lawyer Randy Maillet.
"Again, I wish to fire my attorney for difference of opinion," he told Court of Queen's Bench Justice Paulette Garnett.
The murder suspect said he and Maillet disagreed on several matters over his defence.
"That's between you and your attorney," Garnett said.
As the brief court appearance came to a close, Despres again asked the court how he'd go about firing Maillet and retaining new counsel.
As she was exiting the courtroom, the judge said Despres would have to talk to Maillet about that.
"He's not going to help me (expletive deleted) fire him," Despres said. "(Expletive deleted) legal system."
He was frustrated, and a small group of Fulton family members laughed.
"Don't (expletive deleted) talk to me," Despres said, though it was not clear if he said that to the small group in the gallery or to Maillet.
Just before the judge entered the courtroom, Despres sat quietly but appeared to be seething with anger.
His jaw was clenched, and he glowered at the Fulton family members and pointed at them.
Among the small group was Frederick Mowat, Fulton's grandson and the victim of an assault for which Despres has yet to be sentenced.
As for the psychiatric report, Crown prosecutor Cameron Gunn said the details in the report will be for the jury to decide.
Maillet agreed and requested that a ban on publication of the report be instituted. Garnett granted the motion.
No indication was given regarding the results of the psychiatric assessment.
A previous assessment indicated Despres is fit to stand trial, but that has nothing to do with a possible exemption from criminal responsibility due to a possible mental disorder.
Garnett remanded Despres back into custody pending his jury trial, which is set to begin Sept. 5 and last for five weeks.
Michael Richardson, Fulton's nephew and a family spokesman, said he's not concerned that a possible search for a new defence lawyer would delay the case.
He said there's plenty of time before September for a new lawyer to get up to speed, if it's needed at all.
"It's been a waiting game for a year now," he said. "The family's having a hard time."
Reporters asked if the approaching one-year anniversary of the murders was generating more thoughts of Fulton and Decarie in the hearts and minds of loved ones.
"It doesn't take an anniversary," Richardson said. "We think about them every day."
He said the small group of family members laughed at Despres to show him he doesn't intimidate them. He said they take no satisfaction in seeing him struggle for attention in court.
"I'd rather see him put to death," Richardson said.
Despres was Fulton and Decarie's next-door neighbour on Slope Road in Minto. There had been friction between Despres and the Fulton family before the killings.
Despres fled Canada after the murders but was stopped at the U.S. border crossing in Calais, carrying a variety of weapons, including a chainsaw, a homemade sword, a hatchet and brass knuckles.
He was granted entry into the United States but was arrested the night of April 26 in Massachusetts after the bodies were discovered.
