A psychiatrist testifying at Gary Edwin Mattson's dangerous offender hearing Thursday said the man has both paranoid and anti-social personality disorders and perceives minor slights as significant insults and responds with violence.
Dr. Curtis Woods is the forensic psychiatrist who prepared the court ordered assessment on Mattson for the dangerous offender hearing following the vicious beating of Edmonton Transit driver and St. Albert resident Tom Bregg. Woods said Mattson also suffers from narcissism, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression and severe substance abuse issues.
"His case is unique and I think that is why we are here today."
Mattson has already pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for the December 2009 attack on St. Bregg. The hearing is meant to determine if Matton should be classified a dangerous offender and imprisoned virtually indefinitely.
‘Smouldering fire'
Woods said the personality disorders are Mattson's primary problems, but all the other conditions feed into them.
"The personality disorders produce the smouldering fire and all these other things simply pour gasoline on."
Woods said individuals with paranoid personality disorder like Mattson, lead them perceive the world as largely against them and that problems are the result of external forces.
"They have an assumption that the world is a bad place, it is a dog-eat-dog world and if you aren't careful you will be chewed up."
Woods testified that Mattson's criminal record shows previous assault convictions that are largely described as being unprovoked attacks, but because of his condition, Woods views them differently.
"To Mr. Mattson, to his brain, based on his temperament, on his experience, they are not unprovoked."
Mattson boarded Bregg's bus on Dec. 3, 2009. He failed to pay the fare and after a short argument, Bregg stopped the bus and told Mattson to get off.
Bregg had initially pulled away after another passenger paid for Mattson, but Mattson continued yelling at the driver.
When Mattson was ordered off the bus he exploded into a rage and viciously attacked Bregg, punching him repeatedly in the face before dragging him out of his chair and repeatedly stomping the driver's face.
Woods interviewed Mattson over a span of 10 hours this summer and also reviewed a wide array of previous records.
When they discussed the attack he said Mattson seemed to show some regret while also suggesting the incident was a response to a perceived insult from Bregg.
Mattson suggested, both to Woods and a psychologist who testified earlier this week, the insult with Bregg implied that if Mattson had money for alcohol he should have money for bus fare.
Woods noted that while Mattson admitted the extent of the assault was completely unwarranted, this perceived insult was Mattson's reason for punching Bregg.
"He felt he was rather justified in punching the driver."
While there has been no indication in any of the witnesses' statements or the video of the attack that Bregg made any such implication, Woods said the slightest hint of derision would have been enough to set Mattson off.
During cross examination Friday, Mattson's lawyer Naeem Rauf asked Woods about that issue, pointing out Mattson had limited recall of the event and that he only came up with that idea of the insult after being asked to speculate on why he had attacked Bregg.
Woods stressed Mattson was responsible for his own actions and that even Mattson himself understood that, but he said the young man always turns to violence and aggression in such situations because his disorders limit his healthy responses.
"He does not have an expansive repertoire of coping mechanisms."
Woods also noted a combination of factors likely played into the explosive incident. The night before, Mattson began drinking heavily after a period of sobriety, and was also thrown out of a party with some friends.
Woods said the relapse and being thrown out of the party lowered his self worth, and when he encountered Bregg it was essentially the third strike because it was an altercation with an authority figure.
"It is a perfect storm," he said.
On Friday, Rauf also asked Woods about Mattson's previous assault convictions, noting there were relatively few and none with anything near the level of violence displayed in the attack on Bregg.
Rauf has argued throughout the process that since Mattson has never served more than 90 days in jail it's unreasonable to tag him with a dangerous offender status with indefinite detention.
Woods replied that despite Mattson's collection of problems he is not a psychopath and is capable of rehabilitation.
Woods was the last witness in the hearing. Final arguments in the case are expected when the hearing resumes in March.
