BY KEITH LACEY
For the first time in more than 20 years, Sudbury?s Crown attorney?s office is proceeding with an application to have a repeat violent offender declared a dangerous offender.
A forensic psychiatrist and a forensic psychiatrist testified Monday and Tuesday they both believe there is a strong likelihood Keith Belleau, 38, will commit another violent offence if released.
Only a ?very few? repeat violent offenders with diagnosed anti-social personality disorder change their ways despite intensive treatment, especially those with a long history of violent crime and substance abuse, said Dr. Scott Woodside, a forensic psychiatrist.
Defence counsel Alex Toffoli and Nathalie Boivin are expected to call their own expert witnesses when the hearing continues next week.
Belleau started abusing alcohol and drugs while he was still a child and has spent almost 13 of the last 20 years behind bars. He has had numerous convictions for assault, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
He has remained in custody at the Sudbury District Jail for more than 18 months since being arrested for numerous violent offences.
Before Monday?s dangerous offender application started, Belleau pleaded guilty to five charges, including kneeing a girlfriend in the face in Manitoba in early 2002 and assaulting a jail guard in Sudbury in July 2003.
Belleau could be imprisoned for the rest of his life if named a dangerous offender.
Justice Louise Gauthier of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice will rule on the application. She also has the option of declaring Belleau a long-term offender, which means police would have the authority to closely monitor him for up to 10 years after his release from jail.
Gauthier could also find the Crown hasn?t proven Belleau should be declared a dangerous offender or long-term offender and would then sentence him solely on the outstanding charges he?s facing.
It?s expected because of Belleau?s long history of violent offences, the Crown will be seeking an additional penitentiary term several years in duration on the outstanding charges.
Woodside testified he believes Belleau suffers from an ?anti-social personality disorder? combined with longstanding substance abuse problems.
In addition to alcohol, Belleau has battled addictions to cocaine, prescription pills and he also smokes marijuana regularly, said Woodside.
Belleau is very forthright about his criminal past and tendency toward violent behaviour, but almost always blamed his victims for provoking him,
Woodside said.
Despite numerous repeated attempts to access counselling while in prison, Belleau has failed to make a committed attempt to rehabilitate himself.
Psychiatric studies have shown while treatment can alter some behaviour, ?in brief, there is no known cure for anti-social personality disorder,? said
Woodside.
Psychiatric testing confirmed Belleau meets the criteria for almost every negative personality trait associated with anti-social behaviour, said Woodside.
Testing done related to a Violent Risk Assessment Guide (VRAG) indicates Belleau is in the ?89th percentile? to commit another violent offence if released, said Woodside.
Arrowood testified the majority of his findings after his own interview and testing coincided with Woodside?s.
Testing for future violent behaviour he conducted on Belleau showed his potential for reoffending using violence is higher than 93 per cent of repeat violent offenders in the federal prison population, he said.
Toffoli spent most of his cross-examination questioning testing methods and conclusions.
Toffoli will introduce his own expert psychiatrist when the hearing continues Monday. Toffoli is expected to call numerous witnesses over three
days next week.
