The Crown is challenging the conclusions reached by a German psychiatrist who examined Luka Magnotta for one week in 2012.

Dr. Thomas Barth testified on behalf of the defence this week in Magnotta's murder trial.

Barth examined Magnotta for one week, in June 2012, following his arrest in Berlin and before he was extradited to Montreal.

On the stand Barth said that Magnotta sounded incoherent and paranoid, and concluded he might have been having a psychotic episode linked to a possible paranoid schizophrenic episode.

The diagnosis, he said, was consistent with the cruelty of the crime and the fact Magnotta complained about hearing voices. 

However Barth was cautious in his diagnosis because one week is not enough time to provide a full diagnosis.

Prosecutor Louis Bouthillier cross-examined the witness, and asked, ‘What if Magnotta was lying? What if he was faking?’ The doctor said Magnotta cooperated with him, which is something imposters normally don't do. He did, however, consider Magnotta truthful.

The doctor was also unaware that on two previous occasions, Magnotta was treated for psychiatric issues and no one diagnosed him with schizophrenia. The prosecution closed the cross-examination by asking the German doctor if he was aware Magnotta was an actor – a reference to his participation in pornographic films. 

The psychiatrist said he didn’t know about it.

Next on the stand was Dr. Renee Roy, the psychiatrist who examined Magnotta when he arrived at the Pinel Institute, and who cared for him for a lengthy period of time.

Roy testified that Magnotta showed deep levels of paranoia in jail, and would not take a shower out of feawr of being raped, and that his jail cell was beyond filthy.

She prescribed a heavy dosage of anti-psychotic drugs because, she said, Magnotta complained about hearing voices, and whispers. He told her he compared the voices to having a cell phone inside his head.

Renee now says Magnotta’s mental health has considerably improved since the beginning of the trial. 

Renee will be cross-examined Thursday.

Magnotta is accused of the first degree murder and dismemberment of Jun Lin in May 2012.

He has admitted to killing Lin, but is pleading not guilty due to a mental disorder.