Schoenborn still struggles with anger management, psychiatrist says

A psychiatrist says a man found not criminally responsible because of a mental illness after killing his three children is making slow progress but still struggles with anger management.

Dr. Marcel Hediger told a review board hearing that it’s unlikely he would recommend Allan Schoenborn be granted supervised outings in the next year, saying he would need to see Schoenborn better cope with his emotions.

The review board granted the director of a psychiatric hospital in Coquitlam the discretion to allow Schoenborn escorted outings into the community two years ago, but he hasn’t been allowed out.

Crown attorney Wendy Dawson wants that authority revoked, arguing Schoenborn poses too much of a risk. She contends Schoenborn’s earlier progress was a ploy to earn privileges. Schoenborn’s lawyers want his custodial conditions left alone.

Schoenborn stabbed his 10-year-old daughter Kaitlynne and smothered his sons Max and Cordon, eight and five, at the family’s home in Merritt in April 2008.

Two years later, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled he was not criminally responsible because he was experiencing psychosis and believed he was protecting his children from sexual abuse, though no evidence was heard suggesting they were being abused.

The Crown has also filed a separate court application to have Schoenborn designated a high-risk accused, which would end the possibility of any outings and extend the time between annual review hearings up to three years.

Schoenborn’s next appearance in that case is scheduled for mid-June in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.