Tully’s claim of psychosis not supported by medical experts

Ashburton shooter Russell John Tully had drug-induced psychotic episodes when living in Western Australia, a court decision reveals.

Tully, 49, was found guilty of two murders and one attempted murder after a trial in the High Court in Christchurch last week. The homeless drifter fatally shot two Work and Income staff and injured another using a pumpaction shotgun on September 1, 2014.

The lifting of suppression orders on the court file now allows the media to report a decision by Justice Cameron Mander on whether Tully was mentally impaired and, if so, whether he was fit to stand trial.

Justice Mander considered the evidence of two psychiatrists, a psychologist and Tully himself at a hearing in November last year.

Tully’s evidence concentrated on what he claimed were psychotic episodes going back to 2002 when he was convicted in New Zealand of threatening to kill and presenting a firearm in Picton.

In Australia, his psychotic episodes and blackouts made him behave unusually and commit arsons, he said.

Hospital records from Western Australia, where Tully worked maintaining mining equipment, disclosed drug-induced psychotic episodes, requiring him to be hospitalised overnight.

‘‘On these occasions Mr Tully presented as uncooperative, threatening, exhibiting extreme paranoia and grandiosity,’’ Justice Mander said.

‘‘His discharges were accompanied by diagnoses of drug-induced psychosis with associated antisocial and narcissistic traits. It was noted that he had a potential for aggression and anti-social behaviour, especially if intoxicated with illicit substances.’’

Tully said the episodes continued when he returned to New Zealand in 2012.

He was hit with a softball bat after returning to Ashburton after which he had ‘‘increased incidents’’.

He mentioned hearing voices and having visions.

Tully complained this background had not properly been taken into account by one of the assessors who concluded his preoccupation with a possible skin disease and personality features were not sufficient to amount to a mental impairment that would affect his ability to stand trial.

Justice Mander said Tully had not been diagnosed as labouring under delusions or psychosis by two health assessors. If head injuries from various assaults had caused any personality changes they were not sufficiently severe to impact his fitness to stand trial.

Tully appeared to suffer elements of an antisocial or narcissistic personality disorder, but the question of a formal diagnosis was secondary to whether his personality traits prevented him from instructing and communicating with counsel.

Tully was challenging, but the difficulties were not insurmountable, Justice Mander said.

It was clear Tully had a preoccupation with his skin condition, which he believed extended to his joints and caused him pain, particularly to his ears.

‘‘Mr Tully maintains that this pain affects his ability to think and to concentrate,’’ Justice Mander said.

From his observations of Tully at the hearing when he asked appropriate questions and knew what was going on, Justice Mander said Tully had the ability to plead and to understand the proceedings.