Re: Lionel Desmond Inquiry

by Xrayxservice Wed 12 Feb 2020, 7:28 pm

Nurses describe an 'emotionless' Lionel Desmond, a stark contrast to what his psychiatrist saw

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Feb 12, 2020

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 Desmond-inquiry

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lionel-desmond-day-10-1.5460839

by Xrayxservice Wed 12 Feb 2020, 7:30 pm

Lionel Desmond's wife asked him for a divorce before killings, inquiry told

The Canadian Press
FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 Cpt11144508-jpg

https://www.richmond-news.com/lionel-desmond-s-wife-asked-him-for-a-divorce-before-killings-inquiry-told-1.24075160

by **RunningLight** Thu 13 Feb 2020, 4:20 pm

Desmond inquiry judge says Veterans
Affairs did not share key information

February 13, 2020

https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/lionel-desmond-not-thought-to-pose-imminent-threat-health-official-tells-inquiry

by Saulman Thu 13 Feb 2020, 5:01 pm

Discharged and without Veterans Affairs followup, Lionel Desmond spiralled

13.02.2020

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 Tel-axx-06012017-columnpic-rwangersky_large

https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/canada/discharged-and-without-veterans-affairs-followup-lionel-desmond-spiralled-410927/

by **Wolfman** Fri 14 Feb 2020, 7:43 pm

February 14 2020

Veteran responds to Desmond inquiry

testimony

A trauma therapist gave emotional testimony at the Desmond inquiry that revealed his highly critical medical information was not properly shared. As Jesse Thomas reports, one veteran says he’s not surprised.

https://globalnews.ca/video/6554010/veteran-responds-to-desmond-inquiry-testimony

by **Accer** Sat 15 Feb 2020, 9:07 am

Deadly Desmond tragedy
prompts Veterans Affairs union
to demand more case workers

Published: Feb 14. 2020

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 CH-lionel_desmond_military_deployment-06_03_2014_original

GUYSBOROUGH, N.S. — In the wake of Thursday’s revelations at the Desmond fatality inquiry, the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees is warning that without changes, similar incidents could happen again.
“I have written to the prime minister and the minister of veterans affairs raising concerns about growing wait times and the backlog of case files,” Virginia Vaillancourt, president of the union representing Veterans Affairs case workers, said Friday.

“I’ve (written to) them before, during and after the election, trying to get them to understand that the number of case files (case managers) are working with is not an appropriate number for them to provide the level of service that our complex clients require.”

On Thursday, the inquiry heard that Afghan War veteran Lionel Desmond was released from a two-month inpatient stay at St. Anne’s Hospital in Quebec despite his doctors knowing that he still suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. There was no followup by Veterans Affairs Canada with Desmond for three months after he returned to his family in Upper Big Tracadie.

That followup eventually came in the form of an appointment with a private psychotherapist in Antigonish who was not provided background on Desmond’s complex mental health struggles stemming from head injuries during his military services and post-traumatic stress disorder from his tour on the front lines of the Afghan War a decade earlier.

That psychotherapist, Catherine Chambers, broke into tears on the stand as Judge Warren Zimmer read her a summary of the extensive further assessment and supports psychiatric staff at St. Anne’s Hospital told Veterans Affairs Desmond would need.

“I want you to have an appreciation of what was known at the time he was discharged,” Zimmer told Chambers.

“What was coming to you without you having any idea of who was coming to sit in your office.”

On Friday, Vaillancourt said that Veterans Affairs case managers are responsible for anywhere from 30 to 60 clients, some of whom (like Desmond) have complex mental health struggles. She wants Veterans Affairs to hire more staffers to bring client loads down to a maximum of 25 veterans per case worker.

Ian Slater, a psychiatrist at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, who saw Desmond after he showed up at the emergency department on Oct. 24, 2016, resorted to asking the veteran to get his own medical records from Veterans Affairs Canada because he had no idea how to obtain them.

But Veterans Affairs Canada doesn’t maintain a database of the medical records of its veterans – those are scattered across the various provincially-run facilities where they have sought care. In Lionel Desmond’s case, the records were at facilities in three different provinces.
Case managers assigned to veterans are meant to co-ordinate care.

But Vaillancourt said Friday that those case managers are overwhelmed.

She pointed out that the number of veterans seeking financial assistance rose to 40,000 last November from 11,000 in the same month one year earlier. More than one third of them had been in the queue more than 16 weeks.

“That unfortunately leaves veterans and their families in extremely stressful situations – it makes lives difficult for them and those who are trying to serve them,” said Vallaincourt.

Four and a half months after Desmond was released from St. Anne’s Hospital, he legally bought a rifle and used it to kill his wife, Shanna, daughter, Aaliyah, and mother, Brenda, in their Upper Big Tracadie home. He then took his own life.

Veterans Affairs would not comment Friday on the union's demand for more case workers.

"We appreciate that for many employees in the department, the subject of this fatality inquiry is difficult – especially for frontline employees who work hard each day to serve veterans and their families. Veterans Affairs Canada will continue to provide staff with support as the inquiry proceeds," Veterans Affairs spokesman Josh Bueckert said in an email.

He noted there will be witnesses testifying at the Desmond inquiry from Veterans Affairs and the military.

"We cannot provide further comment in order to respect the integrity of the inquiry process," Bueckert said.

"We would also note that veterans should not hesitate to seek assistance if they are experiencing negative health effects. We encourage veterans to seek assistance from VAC, their health care practitioner, or other supports available in their community."

https://www.journalpioneer.com/news/canada/deadly-desmond-tragedy-prompts-veterans-affairs-union-to-demand-more-case-workers-411577/

by Stealth Tue 18 Feb 2020, 12:24 pm

Firearms officers tell inquiry how a veteran with PTSD was able to get a gun licence

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Feb 18, 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-day-12-1.5466827

by Mojave Wed 19 Feb 2020, 7:23 pm

Nova Scotia·DAY 13 OF INQUIRY

Why firearms officers returned Lionel Desmond's gun licence after suicide attempt, police calls

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Feb 19, 2020

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 Lionel-desmond-inquiry-photo-illustration

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-day-13-1.5468163

by Jeremiah Thu 20 Feb 2020, 7:22 pm

Inquiry judge tackles bureaucracy that prevented officials from sharing veteran's history

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Feb 20, 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-day-14-1.5470442

by Echostar Mon 24 Feb 2020, 5:11 pm

Nova Scotia·DAY 15 OF INQUIRY

Doctor who signed off on Lionel Desmond's
firearms licence testifies at inquiry

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Feb 24, 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-day-15-1.5473483

by **Trooper** Tue 25 Feb 2020, 8:00 am

Canada treats veterans poorly,
Fredericton doctor tells
Desmond inquiry

Published Feb 25. 2020

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 Tel-axx-06012017-columnpic-rwangersky_large

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/provincial/canada-treats-veterans-poorly-fredericton-doctor-tells-desmond-inquiry-415283/

by **Silversun** Tue 25 Feb 2020, 3:32 pm

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 5e556fd0023d1607330c2884jpeg

Vets with PTSD treated like ‘lepers,’ doctor
tells Desmond fatality inquiry

Feb 25, 2020

GUYSBOROUGH, N.S. — A New Brunswick doctor who specializes in treating veterans with PTSD apologized today for comments he made about the Department of Veterans Affairs during testimony before a fatality inquiry in Nova Scotia.

Paul Smith was testifying before a provincial inquiry that is investigating why Lionel Desmond, a mentally ill former soldier, killed three family members and himself in Big Tracadie, N.S., on Jan. 3, 2017.

On Monday, Smith offered a harsh assessment of how Veterans Affairs deals with those who are leaving the military for medical reasons, which was the case for Desmond in June 2015.

Desmond had been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression in 2011 after he served in Afghanistan in 2007.

Smith told the inquiry that soldiers given medical discharges for PTSD are chastised, treated like “lepers” and “cast to the wind.”

The family doctor, who mainly treats veterans with PTSD using medical cannabis, also suggested Veterans Affairs lacked warmth when dealing with clients and placed too much emphasis on pills and psychotherapy, which he described as “pathetic.”

“The discharge programs are lacking tremendously,” Smith told the inquiry on Monday. “We have other nations that do it correctly.” He later mentioned Israel as an example.

Smith said communication with the department was lacking, which eroded trust.

“A typical conversation with DVA is — I’m on the phone for half an hour listening to music, and when they do talk to you, it’s like they don’t know anything about you,” Smith said Monday. “You’re just a number.”

During testimony on Tuesday, Smith apologized for those comments when challenged by a lawyer representing the federal government.

Lori Ward said the inquiry can expect to hear testimony from Desmond’s Veterans Affairs case manager, who will testify how she tried to bend the rules to ensure the former infantryman received proper “continuity of care.”

Ward said the woman is also expected to tell the inquiry that she volunteered to drive Desmond to the airport in March 2016 when he was scheduled to take part in a residential treatment program at a hospital in Montreal.

“Does that sound like a lack of warmness to you?” Ward asked Smith.

Smith replied: “There’s good people in the DVA system, and I apologize for a sweeping statement that may have presented otherwise. (However), it remains the attitude of many vets is that it’s a constant struggle to deal with DVA in terms of attitude.”

Smith’s testimony was considered pivotal to the inquiry because he was the one who signed off on a medical form that allowed Desmond to purchase the semi-automatic rifle he used in the killings in 2017.

The inquiry has heard Smith prescribed medical marijuana to Desmond in July 2015, only six days after he officially left the military.

When the two men met for a follow-up visit on Feb. 23, 2016, the retired corporal presented the doctor with a medical assessment form from the chief firearms officer in New Brunswick.

The form said Desmond’s firearms licence was under review because he had indicated to his wife Shanna he was contemplating killing himself with a rifle he owned on Nov. 27, 2015 when he was living in Oromocto, N.B.

He was arrested under the province’s Mental Health Act and his weapons were confiscated in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Lawyer Thomas Macdonald, who represents Shanna Desmond’s family, asked Smith if those events were “red flags” that could be seen as reasons for rejecting Lionel Desmond’s bid to have his firearms licence reinstated.

Smith testified that he believed the retired soldier when he said his actions were the result of a “fleeting angry moment when he said some things he didn’t mean.”

Smith told the inquiry it was his assessment Desmond was responding well to treatment and wasn’t a threat to himself or others.

“Non-suicidal and stable,” Smith wrote on the form on Feb. 23, 2016. “No concerns for firearms usage with appropriate licence.”

On Jan. 3, 2017, Desmond bought a Soviet-era SKS 7.62 carbine, which he used later that night to kill his 31-year-old wife Shanna, their 10-year-old daughter Aaliyah and his 52-year-old mother Brenda inside the family’s home in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S.

He then turned the gun on himself.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2020.

— By Michael MacDonald in Halifax

The Canadian Press

https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/02/25/vets-with-ptsd-treated-like-lepers-doctor-tells-desmond-fatality-inquiry/

by **Luxray** Tue 25 Feb 2020, 7:04 pm

Lionel Desmond's wife raised questions about peace bond same day as slayings

Published Tuesday, February 25, 2020

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/lionel-desmond-s-wife-raised-questions-about-peace-bond-same-day-as-slayings-1.4827123

by Gridlock Mon 02 Mar 2020, 4:41 pm

Nova Scotia firearms officer testifies at Lionel Desmond inquiry

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Mar 02, 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-day-17-1.5482045

by **Replica** Mon 02 Mar 2020, 7:14 pm

Judge overseeing Nova Scotia fatality inquiry asks about mental health checks

Posted Mar 2, 2020

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 4 CPT10548243

https://www.570news.com/2020/03/02/judge-overseeing-nova-scotia-fatality-inquiry-asks-about-mental-health-checks/

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