Accused killer's defence granted more time

The defence lawyer for Glen Race,accused offirst-degree murder in the deaths of two Halifax area men,says he needs time to decide how to proceed with the case.

Race, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia,ischarged in the deaths of Michael Paul Knott and Trevor Charles Brewster in May 2007.

Their bodies were discovered in Mill Cove and Dartmouth four days apart. Race fled Nova Scotia and killed a man inUpstate New York before being captured a week later near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Race made a two-minute appearance in Dartmouth courtFriday afternoon.

Defence lawyer Joel Pink said he needs time to read thesecond psychiatric report done since Race was returned to Canada in October and to process a mountain of evidence from the U.S.

"Because of the amount of disclosure, we are not yet in a position to decide whether or not there will be a preliminary inquiry," Pink said outside the courtroom.

As well, Pink said, he has yet to decide whether Race will plead not guilty under Section 16.1 of the Criminal Code, which states that no person is criminally responsible for acts committed "while suffering from a mental disorder that rendered the person incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the act."

The court accepted Pink's request for more time, and the case was adjourned until April 21.

Stayed silent in court

On Friday,Race appeared somewhat detached when he entered the courtroom, his arms hanging unrestrained at his sides. His brown hair was cut short and he was clean-shaven.

Dressed in a green prison uniform,Race said nothing during the hearing and his face gave no hint of his emotions.

Heis already serving a life sentence for the murder of Darcy Manor of Mooers, N.Y., on May 10, 2007 a crime that occurred only days after the alleged offences in Nova Scotia. Manor, a 35-year-old married father of two, was shot in the back as he worked at a private camp in Mooers.

Race's subdued appearance in the Dartmouth courtroom was in marked contrast to police photos from the United States showing a dishevelled young man with unruly hair and tightly shut eyes.

InOctober, he was ordered to undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment to determine whether heis fit for trial in Nova Scotia and if he was mentally competent at the time of the alleged offences.

Last month, he was told he needed another 30-day assessment. Pink, his lawyer,confirmed the court received a 37-page forensic psychiatric report Friday, but he declined to discuss its contents.

An extradition agreement with the U.S. requires that Race be returned to New York to serve the remainder of his sentence, whatever the result of the Canadian legal process.

Pink has speculated the agreement may constitute a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.