Prisoner 'sometimes psychotic'

2008-02-12 20:13

Pretoria - A prisoner who allegedly almost decapitated two nurses at a prison hospital two years ago was sometimes psychotic and needed further neurological and psychiatric assessment, the Pretoria High Court heard on Tuesday.

Psychologist Professor Wicus Coetzee testified that attempted murder and rape accused Thabo Amos Masinga, 22, was "totally psychotic" when he tried to assess him for the first time last month and displayed psychotic elements in his personality when he was assessed last week.

Masinga has pleaded not guilty to eight charges, including attempted murder, rape, indecent assault, kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

He earlier told the court he had no recollection of an incident when he allegedly overpowered two nurses at the Baviaanspoort Prison's hospital section in March 2006 and slit their throats, and found it difficult to believe he was capable of such a thing.

He claimed he was not accountable for his actions because of his use of dagga and cocaine that day.

A panel of three psychiatrists declared Masinga fit to stand trial and not suffering from any mental illness after a previous stint in Weskoppies Hospital.

'In a totally different world'

Coetzee, however, said he was of the opinion that Masinga needed a more extensive battery of tests, including neurological exams to determine if he had suffered brain damage at any stage.

He said when he first tried to assess Masinga, he could not have a rational conversation with the prisoner because he was psychotic and "in a totally different world", hearing voices and seeing people who were not there. It was not his impression that Masinga was faking his symptoms.

When he assessed Masinga again last week, the accused could not recall ever meeting him before.

He told the psychologist he had had a "horrible" childhood and did not want to talk about it. He also mentioned that he had been in a coma after a car accident and was different thereafter, suffering from epileptic fits.

Prison warders who dealt with Masinga every day said he was normal for long periods, but would at other times behave bizarrely and would stay in his cell for up to two weeks at a time.

Influence of drugs

Masinga's reaction to some of the flash cards shown to him in personality tests displayed psychotic elements and he had a panic attack during one of the tests, refusing to look at any further cards.

"It's a very complicated case. At times he is normal, but at times psychotic. I think when he doesn't take drugs, he's normal, but when he does, he becomes psychotic.

"The psychosis can be caused by the influence of drugs on his brain. It affects his behaviour in such a way that it is impossible to talk to him in a normal manner," he said.

The trial continues.

- SAPA