Forensic psychiatrist testifies at hearing

A respected forensic psychiatrists told a Sudbury courtroom Tuesday that a career criminal will almost certainly reoffend if released from prison.

Donald Kocurek suffers from “severe” antisocial personality disorder and ranks “in the 92nd percentile” of offenders incarcerated in federal penitentaries when it comes to psychiatric testing for psychopathic behaviour, said Dr. Derek Pellandri, who has testified at more than a dozen dangerous offender hearings.

Kocurek’s dangerous offender hearing, which started several months ago, is expected to be completed by the end of this week.

If Justice Louise Gauthier of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice determines Kocurek is a dangerous offender, he could be incarcerated indefinitely, perhaps for the rest of his life.

A long-term offender designation would allow police and authorities to closely monitor Kocurek if and when he’s released from prison.

Pellandri testified he interviewed Kocurek over nine hours last year and concluded “he has rather prolific behavioural problems” associated with his antisocial personality disorder.

“In this case it was not a challenging diagnosis” as Kocurek has had longstanding problems breaking the law since early childhood,  continual anger control problems and longstanding addiction to various drugs whenever out of custody, said Pellandri.

When asked if there was successful treatment for repeat offenders, Pellandri testified “the short answer is no.”

Defence counsel Norm Williams is expected to call evidence from his own forensic psychiatrist this week.

Kocurek has more than three dozen convictions, including convictions for sexual assault, robbery and numerous convictions for aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and assault .

Kocurek has been in custody for more than three years after an incident where he was convicted of trying to run down members of the Greater Sudbury Police after stealing a truck in March of 2003.

Kocurek led police on a lengthy high-speed chase chase in a stolen truck. During the incident, police fired five times at Kocurek. None of the bullets struck Kocurek.

Kocurek was convicted of stealing the truck, dangerous driving, resisting arrest, assault with a weapon, possessing cocaine and breaching court orders.

He also faces assault charges from last spring after allegations he scuffled with court security guards after a court appearance and spit at an officer.