Doctor tells of accused's 'odd' topic of interest

Murder accused David Gates, who psychiatrists said had religious delusions, was allowed to start studying Hebrew in hospital, a jury was told yesterday.

In the High Court at Wellington, psychiatrist Nick Judson said it was an odd choice but he had no particular concerns about it.

Prosecutor Grant Burston had asked if staff were worried Gates would be studying the sort of Old Testament material that was said to be part of his religious beliefs when he was ill. Dr Judson said he was not worried if Gates studied the language.

Gates has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering his former flatmate Gavin Dash, and burgling Mr Dash's new flat in late September 1999.

He is defending the charges on the grounds he was insane at the time.

Gates, aged 27, formerly of Karori, Wellington, was committed to hospital in April last year, and in late June was arrested for killing Mr Dash. He is still in hospital.

Through his lawyers, he has formally admitted strangling Mr Dash, decapitating him and disposing of the remains in bush at Karori.

Dr Judson was questioned about another person's note on Gates' medical file last October which said that staff suspected Gates continued to see an insanity defence as a "soft option" when in reality he did not believe he was, or is, mentally unwell.

Dr Judson agreed with Gates' lawyer that someone who had no insight into his or her disease would see an insanity defence as a soft option. Gates did not accept he was unwell when the note was made.

Mr Burston questioned Dr Judson about the lies Gates had told and steps he had taken after the killing to cover up what he had done in his attempts to be rid of Mr Dash's "evil".

Dr Judson agreed that for nine months Gates denied having anything to do with Mr Dash's disappearance.

Gates told police that Mr Dash was an amiable guy and they got on well. Dr Judson also agreed that Gates did not reveal to psychiatrists his delusional belief that Mr Dash was evil.

The doctor said he was sure Gates was capable of deciding what to tell people about his beliefs. He agreed that Gates was intelligent.

He also agreed that Mr Dash, in an e-mail to his cousin, said that Gates had called him an evil fornicator.

Earlier, Dr Judson said that as Gates got better, his thinking changed from regarding his victim as evil to doubting that he was, and then to clearly regretting what he had done and wishing he had not killed Mr Dash.

But Gates still felt that at the time he had been faced with no real alternative.

- NZPA