Turcotte killed his kids out of 'homicidal altruism,' psychiatrist testifies

Guy Turcotte leaves the Saint Jerome courthouse on Sept. 14, 2015. (Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

SAINT-JEROME, Que. -- When Guy Turcotte stabbed his two young children to death in 2009, the ex-doctor was engaging in an act of "homicidal altruism," a psychiatrist testifying for the defence during his first-degree murder trial testified Thursday.

Louis Morissette was cross-examined by the Crown for a second consecutive day and told the 11-member jury Turcotte killed his kids because he didn't want them to suffer.

Morissette said the ex-doctor acted out of "homicidal altruism" because he wanted to prevent them from witnessing his eventual suicide, but the psychiatrist added that logic was faulty and the result of a sick mind.

Turcotte has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of his son, Olivier, 5, and his daughter Anne-Sophie, 3.

His lawyers are arguing the 43-year-old former cardiologist should be found not criminally responsible by way of mental disorder.

Morissette and the previous defence witness, psychiatrist Dominique Bourget, concur Turcotte was suffering from a suicidal crisis after the end of his marriage, which led him to drink windshield washer fluid the night he killed his two kids on Feb. 20, 2009.

Crown prosecutor Rene Verret accused Morissette of trying to minimize the effect drinking windshield fluid -- which contains the toxic substance methanol -- had on Turcotte.

Morissette replied the primary factors triggering Turcotte's actions were his troubled mental state and his suicidal thoughts and the methanol consumption was a lesser factor.

"You are excluding the methanol as a contributing factor?" Verret asked.

"Yes, it was very marginal," Morissette said.

Morissette's testimony on Turcotte's mental state the night he killed his children is crucial to the defence's claim the ex-doctor is not criminally responsible.

Verret was incredulous about the claim Turcotte really wanted to kill himself because he chose to drink methanol, which after ingestion, brings about a slow death.

The Crown prosecutor asked Morissette to explain why Turcotte called his mother the night of the murders, asking for her to "come save him," which she could have done before the methanol took effect.

Morissette said Turcotte truly wanted to kill himself that night but failed.

Turcotte's trial was adjourned until Monday, when Quebec Superior Court Justice Andre Vincent told the jury the defence could presenting its final witnesses.