UBC student testifies he became ‘paranoid’ hours before attack
A former UBC student who was charged in connection with the assault of another student in her university dorm testified Wednesday that he had paranoid thoughts in the hours before the attack.
Thamer Hameed Almestadi, 19, said that on Oct. 4, 2016, the day of the attack, he attended a math class but had trouble focusing and thought that his professor was trying to send him a message.
He told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Margot Fleming that he became distracted, went to the washroom to wash his face and when he returned the professor made a comment about the monster Godzilla that he was concerned might have been directed at him.
Under questioning from defence lawyer Tamara Duncan, Almestadi said it was not the first time that he thought the math professor was trying to send him a message.
He said that after the math class, he thought he saw the professor outside a Tim Hortons and then saw someone talking on the phone and believed the man was talking to the professor.
Almestadi said he became confused and instead of attending the next class, he decided to return to his Salish house student residence and lie down on his bed. “How did you feel?” said Duncan. “I was getting paranoid about what I had seen right before that, about my professor,” said Almestadi, who has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Mary Hare. He has also pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. “Were you scared,” said Duncan. “I was,” replied Almestadi. The accused, who is a Muslim from Saudi Arabia, said that he tried to calm himself by listening to an audio-recording of the Qur’an.
The main issue at the trial is whether Almestadi is not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
Court has heard that shortly after returning to his residence, Almestadi allegedly went to Hare’s room, also in the Salish residence, and tried to choke her and cut her throat with a knife before other students intervened and rescued her.
Almestadi’s testimony on Wednesday was about to get to the point where the alleged assault occurred but had to be adjourned until Thursday when an Arabic interpreter did not return following the afternoon break.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, the accused testified that in the days before the assault, he became concerned about his mental health following a discussion with a student residence adviser.
He said that on one occasion he decided to go to the hospital and seek help but was told the earliest available appointment to see a doctor was Oct. 14. Almestadi said he tried to call to see if there was an earlier appointment but was unable to get one.